Early Morning Redux.

Sometimes we forget that joy isn't a constant in our lives. When I think back to the dark times, such as that discussed in this poem, it is hard to remember that my current happiness with a new spouse isn't the way life should always be. Just as good can't exist without evil, however, happiness is not as joyful without the memory of sadness. The lesson of the Stoics. Just wait. Like Florida weather, it will change. Just stay the course, and life will surprise you. I will enjoy the good times while I have them.

In the blackness of the early morning

he struggled to see a path

to the next room.

He looked for coffee

and a companion.

She wasn’t there.

He shuffled on tired feet,

one foot and then the next,

remembering to look for obstacles

in the dark.

How long before he reached

the light switch?

How many steps?

When would his sadness end?

What would his answer be?

How many days

would he look in the dark

for a light switch

that always seemed so far away?

How many times would he stumble

over a dog’s toy

or a left over shoe?

He hoped he would find the light

before the blackness covered him

in a box

from which

he couldn’t escape.