Dark Existence

—You lay down in your bed

for ten years, and after ten years

you got up. The room was full of weak color

but there was an interesting little hill of rich life

from which all things streamed;

and you saw between

existence and the fringe of your

quotes non-

being on the wall

an active shadow that could not reconcile itself to earth

and was not ironical, that is, not split;

but nothing could be done without some

cooperation between this

shadow and whatever refused it in this world

so you invited it in—

dark existence that comforts and terrifies—

bright existence that could not stay—