Nothing is braver; darkness its element,
its gear a diode, batteries, a case,
a switch, a focus, and a temperament
suited to discovery in the face
of ignorance. It finds lost things, keyholes,
targets, and the way, with photons hurled
at mystery. It understands its role is
to propagate some light into the world.
James Pollock is the author of Sailing to Babylon (Able Muse Press) and You Are Here: Essays on the Art of Poetry in Canada (Porcupine’s Quill). He has been a finalist for both the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry. He lives in Madison, WI, and at www.jamespollock.org.
