Darkness

for Maia

If darkness is
the way you take,
if silence is
your dearest guide,
if devil-laughs
keep you awake,
and flare your eyes
when light has died,

if all night through
along the day
thoughts make the noise
sticks snapping make;
if love burns you
and tenderness,
if darkness is
the way you take,

if silence is
your dearest guide,
and flames make thin
thought-branches break
upon the night, –
the devil enjoys
to freeze the space
his cold eyes eyed,

and devil-laughs
seize with their hands
the furnace where
a voice shone strong,
and choke the pipe
up through the throat –
yet I have heard
an angel’s song –

If darkness is
blind loss of love,
if silence is
that song denied,
remember singing,
lost warm notes,
a way to take
and dearest guide.