Darkness surrounded me just two short hours ago

So much I could not see hands in front of face alone

But, undeterred, I continued walking the dog uphill

Aware only of the slipperiness - bothering me still



Two small lights shone at doors of houses in the distance

Not enough to provide any sort of beam at all persistent

So I trudged on gauging my distance from road's edge

By how much ice lay under foot and how I could wedge



My feet in the gulley where rain was flowing in a trickle

Just inside the grass and twigs which made me feel a pickle

Until I marched on uphill and around the next curved bend

Where all of a sudden I came upon a sight to make eyes mend



A fir tree in front of a house was all covered with lights ablaze

Which filled the darkness with so much light, my heart raged

And as I approached, I forgot about all the sins of darkness

For they all disappeared in a flash as bright shone in starkness



Christopher W. Thomas

7:50am Tuesday 12/30/97