THE LONGEST NIGHT

Descend. 
Slide beneath. 
Slip below the surface. 

Under the chatter, 
under even the silence, 
into the velvety black. 

Slip into the dark sea, 
the vast expanse. 

Let yourself be wrapped 
in a deep blue blanket of 
nothing and everything. 

Feel it envelop you, 
soft and heavy on your flesh. 
Feel it stretch on forever. 

Now, sink deeper still, 
into the inky black 
heart of the matter, 

where the most ancient 
wisdom breathes. 

Let yourself be drawn 
into the core, the essence– 

where the Beloved
whispers gently, 

where it is no longer safe, 
where it is home. 

Drop 
into the depths 
of your own unknown. 

Exhale and expand 
into your beautiful, 
whole, holy, darkness.