Light

I opened my eyes to see the light.
“Show me the light!
I want to see.”
I looked around
From sky to ground:
Some light, some dark,
Some shades of gray.
There is no guarantee.

“But I was promised light!”
I said.
“Why else these eyes?”
“Why else this sight?”
I heard a little voice instead,
“What light, you fool? And what promise?
Do you delude yourself a lot?”

Well, it’s true, I thought.
No one promised me anything after all.
But, wait…
What voice was that?

In silence I sat
waiting for the little voice to reappear.
It didn’t, in its lieu
Came rain and storm
came howling wind, back pain and insect bite.
Came sunrise, came falling leaves
And when I had just about had it
Came insight:

The light
I sought–
Outside–
is not.
And these outward eyes failed to see,
Until I turned my gaze inward
To find the source
Of illumination in me.
2014