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.

Wren

 
 
 

using but one wing
 
wren brushes away darkness
 
morning by morning

Wing

 
 
 

on the wren’s left wing
 
seven serrations of light
 
and one of darkness