in the earliest years of my youth,
nothing terrified me more
than the silhouettes that formed in the darkest darkness.

now, nothing claws fear from me.
except, everything.
those that i hold in the warmest corner of my heart
are the same silhouettes that i pushed out with the light of a lamp.

the darkness that i used to fear
i now embrace in place of those.
as if flipped, i fear those in the light
more than i do those in the dark.

eb