Light in the Dark

by Priscila Flores

For ages, civilizations have fantasized about what could be lying at the center of the earth, in galaxies beyond, and in the uncovered darkness of the world. They have kept their minds in bright enclosures with beliefs of higher beings that are meant to bring light into every room, yet feel inclined to uncover what wanders in the shadows. They say there is wickedness in the twilight, in the velvet blackness that holds a millennium of questions, but if so, why be so attracted to it? Why profess a pull to halos when the dirt is just as enriching? They say the night is full of terrors yet in that deafening darkness, they soundly sleep, experiencing colorful dreams through kaleidoscope visions. They say the night is full of horror yet in homes across the hemisphere, millions bathe in their acquired states of relaxation and lovers intertwine like the Auroras dancing above them. What can be said about the dark when its duality proves it to be more refined than previously thought? In the late hours of our slumber, we find ourselves alone in our minds. We lurk in unsearched mental pathways and uncover sheltered truths. In the bright hours of the day, we tirelessly work, watching the clock as the minutes tick on by, awaiting the moment of release into the sky of the setting sun. We convince ourselves we are in search of light around us and within ourselves, yet ache to be released from its restraints. Darkness may be feared, but it is the light that blinds us.