My friend Dark

Bolted down in the storm, I keep my footing. Staying some for me and mostly for others. It is tradition, it is duty, this is what you do when you come from family. Smiling all day, making sure everyone’s fine. Catching those that may fall, cheering winners as they cross the line. Genuinely happy for them I smile on.

Yet the dark sits behind me in the movie theater, he has no time for all this nonsense. He taps his foot, crosses his legs, his figure an ever present undulating outline. He changes his voice from gentle to demanding to menacing on a dime. He reaches out of what’s mine and expands like magic goo filling all dimensions. He travels in time and changes my past present and future. He rewrites history to prove his point and recounts my crimes.

It is easy to judge my friend, the Dark. Every other friend says he is no good for me. But at the end of the day it is the Dark that I come home to, he is the one that puts his arms around me when all is quiet — sometimes soothing me to sleep, sometimes keeping me up until the morning. He says he does it to keep things interesting. He is right. I have yet to experience one dull night.

E. Saglamer

October 15 2017