I walked into the woods before sundown
to escape the sound of sirens and anxious questions.
The plaintive cry of a jackal brought a message
from the Land:
Stay where you are, she said.
You love me for the right reasons, I can feel it --
will you let fear turn you away from this truth again and again?
Come, rest here with me;
listen for the rain, remember that it falls with your prayer.
Your spirit will survive this battle
even if you must lend sacred blood to the soil.
For now, dance your joy late into the night,
tell your mother and father to send you courage instead of worry,
and look closely into all of my dark corners,
so that you may pull the light out of the shadows
in time to share it with the day’s grief.
(5761)