Ashes mixed with tears
 
the day the Twin Towers fell—
 
September darkness.

 
 
 

White paper, black ink—
 
deeper and deeper a crow
 
sinks into darkness.

 
 
 

Night of the new moon—
 
I stumble in the darkness
 
on my homeward way.

 
 
 

From the sun I learn
 
a narrative of darkness;
 
from the raven, light.

 
 
 

before the first stars
 
were strewn across the heavens
 
darkness deep and wide

 
 
 

Unlighted lantern—
 
a luna moth shrinks its wings
 
to fit the darkness.

 
 
 

Five a.m. darkness—
 
eager to hear the first bird,
 
I jump out of bed.

 
 
 

Darkness and thick smoke
 
swirling in my morning joe—
 
autumn turns to ash.

 
 
 

Mid-autumn darkness—
 
my neighbor’s crowing rooster
 
jolts me out of bed.

 
 
 

Some nameless creature
 
under cover of darkness
 
plunders my garden.