When Will I Meet the Light...

By Bhavesh Patel

Today is the day…
Until I wrap myself
in a crocheted shawl,
its crafted pores
still letting in
patchy summers
with a lazy ease.

Even the alarms ring-
not with urgency,
but with fear:
When will I meet the light?

Then awe-inspiring stories
tighten my collar,
make me stand straighter.
More courage, daily,
in front of the mirror.
Still, shrill-laden cries echo:
When will I meet the light?

Super-noon teas
converge around
other people’s lives.
But this lone, bereft mind
lurks quietly in the dark,
yonking through hazy roads..
When will I meet the light?

The sun dips..
and with it,
a renewed interest
in charting goals.
I try to keep
my meek fragility
out the door.
But the whispers
keep making rounds:
When will I meet the light?

Owlishness
haunts my slumber.
Street dogs snarl
at midnight shadows.
And round and round,
within my mind…
When will I meet the light?