Made of Midnight: A Poem

Made Of Midnight

I have a black cloak

made of midnight.

The heavy velvet

hangs tight around my neck

and 

the clasps

cannot be undone. 

Darkness is carried around 

on my quiet shoulders, 

sore and stiff;

the absence of light 

invisible too all 

but me. 

I drag it 

through weather too hot, 

down streets where 

people crowd around me and 

cannot see it’s 

weight; 

they wonder, 

“why are you so tired?”

I drag it through winter;

the weight of short days, 

long nights,

and the frosty closeness

of family

pull 

me

downward. 

Season after season

my midnight cloak

hangs tight around my neck, 

making it hard to breath…

hard to walk…

hard to stand. 

So, I lay down. 

I spiral down 

down and down 

under the weight 

as my thoughts 

are consumed by my 

cloak made of midnight. 

Property of Susan Sontra. May not be used without permission. 2017