A New Song Poem by Steve Otieno

I found a way
for my fingers to navigate me through the blinds,
where the dawn's sunrise,
the dusk's sunset,
and the full moon
peeked through my drapes,
spreading reflections and shadows at my feet,

'Be gentle with these',
they seemed to say,
'Just a light touch would do',
and I had to remove myself
from the deafness
of prescribed rhythms,

what I did,
was touch the shadows where they gleamed -
as gently as I could,
and I saw how I contrasted with the reflections
as much as I was immersed in the shadows,

'Be gentle with yourself',
they seemed to say,
'A light touch would do',
so I removed myself completely
from the deafness
and hummed to a new rhythm.