Be Comfortable with Doubt, with Death, with Darkness

December 16, 2017

Dear Subscriber:

Each week we examine a theme from a variety of points of view. This week’s theme is light and darkness, in honor of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, which began on December 12.

Today’s poem is about how love is an eternity within time, even though every flame must burn out.

I welcome comments on my poems at https://nicholasgordon.blogspot.com.

Yours,

Nick Gordon

Be comfortable with doubt, with death, with darkness.

One’s candle will inevitably burn out.

No miracle can make it last forever,

Nor keep two souls eternally together.

In life there is but one way things turn out.

Embrace it, then, in all its senseless starkness.

Sing of life in all its poignant starkness,

Equally of light and gentle darkness,

The timeless end, however time turns out,

Here, where every holy lamp burns out.

Each finds greater happiness together.

Love is a redaction of forever.

In loving one is for a time forever,

Zen-like in one’s sense of senseless starkness,

Aware that one is one, and that together

Both are singly subject to the darkness,

Embracing still a soul that will burn out,

Touched by love, however things turn out,

Having loved, however things turn out.

Given, one will not exist forever

And like a Hanukkah candle will burn out,

Burning beautifully against life’s starkness,

Radiant dancer lighting up the darkness.

In love and longing, dancers dance together,

Each flame more bright and beautiful together,

Loving life however it turns out,

A miracle of light upon the darkness.

Nor need one need more time to taste forever,

Despite the naked truth in all its starkness,

Knowing that in time all flames burn out,

Eventually that even stars burn out.

Now is forever. The only forever. Together

Now is together forever. Life ends in starkness,

And yet one’s time is timeless, it turns out.

Eternity is now. One lives forever,

Light infinite upon a sea of darkness,

Lighting darkness still. Though lights turn out,

Each was still is. Forever is. Together

Now burning out of love amid life’s starkness.

© by Nicholas Gordon

Hear or watch me recite this poem and listen to the music I chose for it at https://www.poemsforfree.com/becomf.html. For more Hanukkah poems, go to https://www.poemsforfree.com/chanukahpoems.html .

This week’s theme: Light and Darkness

December 11: Have a Happy Hanukkah

December 12: Bless the Darkness, Bless the Light

December 13: Can One Celebrate a Miracle

December 14: Being in Eternity and Time

December 15: How Beautiful the Hanukkah Lights

December 16: Be Comfortable with Doubt, with Death, with Darkness