In The Dark
by Glenda Beall
I lie here in bed, my cheek
against your shoulder,
remembering a night, long
ago, on your boat.
I was afraid. I felt too much, too fast.
But you were tender, and love
crept over us
like silver fog, silent on
the lake.
We were never again the same.
We stepped like children
through that door that led
to long passages unknown,
holding hands, wide-eyed, but brave.
Here I am years later,
listening to your soft breath
and feeling your warm smooth
skin.
In the dark, now might as
well be then.
The title of the book comes from the last line in this poem. Many poets stress out over trying to find the perfect title for their poetry books. I did. Every title I thought of was unmemorable. It was Nancy Simpson, well-known and highly published poet, who chose the title for me.
Recently in our weekly poetry class, we studied famous poet, Theodore Roethke. His first book was called Open House and the title was suggested to him by another poet, Stanley Kunitz. This is yet another reason to surround yourself with writers and poets if you are a writer or a poet.
We often see something in another person's work that they don't see. Writing is done in isolation, but we need community and that is why I urge my students to join writing groups, attend writing events and make friends with other writers.
