seconds

 seconds

on the dark nights of childhood,

sometimes, you went that far, 

and came back;

or up that far,

or down that far;

in the dark you came back

to the lamplight,

to the fireplace, 

to go again and come back

again, it was childhood.

the dark was closer,

the coming back longer,

the going harder.

remembering is a light

i return to now and then

when the glow of memory fades

and the dark is frightening,

i come back.