I will always find comfort in the dark.
A shadowy cloak that hides the harsh truths
most often illuminated by daylight.
I’ll always prefer a magical misty forest over a gritty barren beach,
the silvery moon over the blinding sun,
dusky twilight over the morning dawn.

An overcast sky painted with inky grey clouds,
on the verge of bursting into a million tiny droplets,
will never fail to bring a smile to my face.

From birth I was told that these things were not to be loved.
That I should be a worshipper of the sun; a slave to its heat.
Letting it burn off my cadaverous skin.
While I dreamt of being a lunar goddess
pining away for the soft light of the mysterious moon.
That I should dress in obnoxious pastels which wash out my complexion,
and clash with the rich bloody color of my natural tresses,
Instead of adorning myself in smoky obsidian and lusty earth tones,
That make me feel warm and elegant as I walk through the trees.

I tried to hide my love affair with the esoteric.
Tried to enjoy the things that disagreed with me so.
Misery engulfed my spirit trying to keep up with the facade.
Desperate for answers, I began to question the validity of the popular opinion.

It was then that I had a realization:
Stripped of all cynical judgements placed upon it, the dark is just the dark.

It is not a natively evil element, nor was I misguided or depraved.
I was simply able to see the beauty in dark things when others couldn’t.
Unafraid of exploring the unknown.
My soul was and will always be illuminated the most
within the mystical veil of ethereal darkness.

~

Relephant Favorite:

Found in the Darkness.

~

Author: Tess Hynes

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Flickr/Martin Beek