And So Darkness Closes On In Me Poem by RIC BASTASA

and so when darkness closes in on me
like a blanket covering my eyes with the softness of its blackness
i simply go with the flow of its coldness
as i close my eyes and sleep and if dreams come
i welcome them and learn to accept whatever color it shows
whatever movement it makes with its images and streams
and sequences like a movie in my mind

i too welcome the new day
waking up with the freshness of a blank mind
emptying and not working out what should come inside myself
i let the air take its seat and fill the space
i breathe what is only necessary for the day
i let out what wants to go into the open field

i hold no one and i obstruct no one
this is the free trade going on inside myself
i just want to grow and let all my cells go where they want to
i let my nerves celebrate and feast on all its impulses
this is the feast of myself the resurrection of the soul

where is heaven? where is hell? I tell all my senses
Go find them all. There shall be no restraints. No visas.
No hold-departures. There is always this welcome sign
Hanging on every door.
Yes, all the entrances and exits are open now.
This is life. There is no room for any regret.