The Gift of Darkness
by Michael Doyle

Life
Gave me the gift of darkness
Strife
In a world filled with harshness

It was a gift 
Though it took years to understand
Thoughts shift
As you travel the years and the land

Darkness 
Is as important as light
It takes harshness
To develop true sight

The shadows
These teach us to truly see the light
What experience knows
Is sometimes needed to get things right

It took knowing my own darkness
To truly learn wrong from right
It took staring into the starkness
To begin to share a little light

Darkness 
Is as important as light
It takes harshness
To develop true sight

Like a candle burning
I began to defy and refine
Through life's learning
There was madness to define

In this world of doubt
I seek to trap ignorance inside
Learning what life is all about
There was no place left to hide

Darkness 
Is as important as light
It takes harshness
To develop true sight

So many justify anger
But hate cannot drive out hate
This world is no stranger
To this lesson learned too late

I make my own promise
In this darkness to be a light
There's no longer time to compromise
We need to get this right

Darkness 
Is as important as light
It takes harshness
To develop true sight

(c) September 5, 2024    Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved