carry the dark by Jody Reis Johnson
carry the dark
across the desert night
devoid of comfort
devoid of life
drag your body
your dry bones
over endless, starless dunes
carry the dark
for it must be borne
past cruel mirages of water and rest
just beyond reach
still
carry the dark
until finally
emptied out
brought to your knees in the sand
your dust-strangled cry
breaks open the heart of the world
and you are carried
then gently laid
at morning’s doorstep
This poem was first published in the Amethyst Review
carry the dark
across the desert night
devoid of comfort
devoid of life
drag your body
your dry bones
over endless, starless dunes
carry the dark
for it must be borne
past cruel mirages of water and rest
just beyond reach
still
carry the dark
until finally
emptied out
brought to your knees in the sand
your dust-strangled cry
breaks open the heart of the world
and you are carried
then gently laid
at morning’s doorstep
This poem was first published in the Amethyst Review
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