Dark Existence
--Brenda Hillman (1993) 

-You lay down in your bed
for ten years, and after ten years
you got up. The room was full of weak color 

but there was an interesting hill of rich life
from which all things streamed; 

and you saw between
existence and the fringe of your
quotes non-
being on the wall
an active shadow that could not reconcile itself to earth
and was not ironical, that is, not split; 

but nothing could be done without some
cooperation between this
shadow and whatever refused it in this world
so you invited it in- 

dark existence that comforts and terrifies-
bright existence that could not stay-