In Contrast

To perceive, we must embrace
The light and the shadow both;
One without the other is blindness.
Only in such contrast —
Of the sky and the ground,
Of the sand and the noise,
Of the snow and the night —
Can we conjure dreams rich in detail.

Imagine with me, whole lives,
Painted in pink and cream, rose and lilac,
The glare saccharine and intolerable.
No! Leave space for red and mauve and taupe,
In delicate balance, sickness and sorrow,
Perhaps doubt —
or else, denounce depth entirely.
We will need divergence sometimes,
A candle to guard against
The blackness of a happiness unending.

Shall we envisage ourselves
With such nuance, such tolerance
For the foolish words and exquisite fears
That ought not to be despised or regretted?
Shall we ask: is a mistake, a flaw?
If so, we might find
In the layers and the crossings out,
Beneath forgiveness, a little space in creation:
An error-darkened page,
Light nevertheless.