The Dark Discomfort (Poem)

The Dark Discomfort

Winter is walking
on my favorite beach.

I take up residence
on the dock, knees

tight to chest, survey
the sky the sun

means to leave
post-Thanksgiving gray.

Shore birds disappear
behind a cloud cover

of heavy fleece, quiet
somehow a primal fear

of the dark discomfort.
Not even the pelicans

and herons go shopping
for the last piece

of life the wind deserted
on cold, murky waves.

I wonder at nature's promise
of warmer, longer days,

make peace with time
spent watching the light

as a channel of stars —
Lynx, Orion, Cassiopeia —

lights my way home,
hopeful this holiday season.

© 2013 Maureen E. Doallas
___________________________

This is a found poem, inspired by Kathryn Neel's post "How to Become a Better Writer: Artist Date on the Dock", featured at TweetSpeakPoetry on December 6.