A Poem For The Dark
A Gentle, Creative Reframing To Remind Us There Are Teachings In the Dark
Letter to the Others in the Dark
I am writing not to send you light,
but to let you know you are not alone
in the darkness. I am here, too,
scribbling with no sight, no certainty
that the words on the page are legible,
no confidence you will receive this.
Still this impulse to reach out,
this longing to honor this deepening darkness,
though it is confusing, disorienting.
I find myself reminding myself
such darkness is natural, essential even,
and there is some comfort
in knowing this, in trusting I am part
of some great process, even though
it terrifies me. This is how the world
has been made and remade.
Of course we are no different
than stars. Perhaps you are not frightened.
But I am. Maybe this is why I reach out.
Because it takes so much courage
to trust the dark place, to attend to its demands,
to believe this is not the end, but a pause,
a stage between one world and another.
Please, don’t send me light either.
I don’t think I am ready yet, the pain still sharp,
not yet softened, not yet become wings,
though part of me longs to have already
arrived on the other side of transformation.
Perhaps you are reaching for me, too.
Perhaps you have already written
on this page, and because it is dark,
I can’t read what you’ve said.
Perhaps believing this makes me less alone.
And this is why I write.
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
I recently had a conversation with a 1:1 sleep-health client who disclosed that before they started working with me, they had become afraid of the night. Not the dark, or afraid of night-time as an concrete feature of the overall day, but more so that night began to signify this abstract concept where the body would become swept up in panic, worry, and fear.
Thinking about evening time coming around every 24 hours loomed heavily on them.
I’ll admit that I’ve been there, too.
Much of our culture has a lot of shame around talking about sleep anxiety, sleep difficulties, and sleep disorders. There is this fundamental thinking around sleep that tells us we should be able to drift off effortlessly each night. We know sleep substantially helps us feel more vital during the day and when we can’t it sometimes feels like we’re failing at something. Sometimes it creates a sense of tension and anxiety. Sometimes, for lack of a better word, it feels scary.
One of the primary feelings that insomnia can bring about, is an intense feeling of isolation and loneliness while we are in the dark.
I love this poem, because it reminds us that when things are dark—physically or metaphorically—there might also be juicy gifts in there if we can relax into the process enough to find them.
The next time you’re lying awake in the darkness, perhaps ask yourself:
How can I get curious about the dark? What gifts is the dark giving me? Can I rest and relax into this space?
This sub-section of The Art of Rest, is all about—you guessed it—The Art!
Here we explore the creative practices in our lives. Whether we are creating for the pure joy of it, finding ways to have our art help make our lives better, or intentionally honing in on our creative practices, “The Art” is going to regularly touch into our creative pulse5.
Looking For A Personalized Way to Expand Your Creative Life?
My books are now open again for the hibernation season! I am looking forward to giving winter guidance around sleep health & nervous system regulation. While on one end of nervous system work we can focus on reducing stress—on the other end of the spectrum we can also focus on expanding creativity! I offer individualized 1:1 guidance for those who want to use dreams, mindfulness and self-compassion as a way to expand their creativity and curiosity. Shoot me an email at dagnyrose@theartofrest.me to inquire about getting started.