The night has a different texture than the day. During autumn and winter, the nights are longer, sometimes even oppressively long. Walking while immersed in the darkness can be a stimulating experience for some.
In the night
There is little light
The demons may bite
But we can fight
them in our minds
Our beliefs bind
us to our view of reality
Do we ever question this view?
The city sleeps
The night owl peeps
The clouds obscure the moon
Late night lovers swoon
Things happen in the night
Out of sight
That later come to light
non-rhyming verses
The night clings to us, engulfs us, swallows us
We are naked to the night
But if we have light within
We need not fear
We feel small in the darkness
Did you hear the call?
The solitary owl hoots
and acknowledges our presence
But consider the necessity of the night and of the darkness
Without the dark night, could we fully know the day?
In the dark of night, the wind caresses our face
In the solitude, in the freshness of the present moment
We lose our worries and for a brief instant
Experience a certain sweet freedom
As night to day
Death gives meaning to Life
Without death
Life would not be so special, so precious
We can remember many years ago walking in pitch black moonless nights (far from the city) before dawn while out hunting. The only light to guide our way was the flashlights we carried. Shutting these off, we could not see our hands in front of our face. Such total darkness can be unnerving. It is not that we fear the dark per se, but rather what may be lurking in the dark that we cannot see. For some, superstitious, primal fears are accentuated or intensified by the darkness. It may seem to some that spirits are around them in the dark.
A caution for those who do walk at night: much of the violent crime that occurs in our society happens late at night, especially after midnight in the “wee hours” of the morning. It is better to walk earlier and avoid the problematic sections of your city. Walking with a friend reduces risk. There are parts of the city I live in that I would not walk through at night even if I were “packing heat” (carrying a gun).
Now, we present a few images taken last night in the neighborhood. A solitary lantern.
2. The lantern is a lone sentinel on watch. I am reminded of an old Hindu proverb: Of what use is a lantern to one who is blind?
3. Now, a little further away.
4. A final look.
copyright 2016 – larrysmusings.com
