In Darkness there is Light

Nighttime falls inside the doors of the beautiful hotel
an experience to tuck away in my memory box
Many sprint here and there following their agendas
in the midst of mild chaos –
some scrambling from point A to point B,
wondering what happens next
or maybe they’ll discover a cozy spot like mine
with a small, round table and chair

in my private slice of darkness

An unexpected power outage doesn’t stop me
Who doesn’t wish for a little light,
but functioning without it…
bring on the adventure!

As I look around in blackness and listen,
words flutter nearby
I feel their gentle presence like a hummingbird’s
I exercise patience, pen in hand, journal lying open
like a flower in bloom ready to soak up sunshine
A page lies in wait until it feels satisfied with
vowels and consonants tumbling upon its lined surface

The flameless candles glow, yellows dance a jig,
comfort in my bones
chaos maybe, but laughter echoes in the distance
I accept a complimentary champagne
validating my existence
And so, it is in darkness when I become inspired

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com – All rights reserved.
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.
This poem was written during a power outage at the
writers conference in February.

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Thank you! 
🙏

128 thoughts on “In Darkness there is Light

    1. Hi Robbie, the outage was on the first day and definitely not on the agenda. So, I did make the best of it, enjoyed some writing by candlelight, 😁 and then went out to dinner with a few women I met. The power came back on later in the evening. So, it turned out pretty well. Darkness can be scary or calming, depending on the circumstances. 💕

  1. You describe the experience well Lauren. I loved the line ….

    A page lies in wait until it feels satisfied with
    vowels and consonants tumbling upon its lined surface

    I love a blank page in my journal … with Pen poised at the ready…
    It does help if we have light though 🙂 to see what we are writing 🙂

    May the Light forever shine for you dear Lauren and how wonderful to be at a writers conference…

    Sending much love your way… Enjoy the rest of your week… ❤ xx

    1. Thanks so much, Sue. This happened on the first day, so it was a bit crazy. But I actually enjoyed the quiet time. Writing was challenging without light, but the candles made it doable, not ideal, but doable. 🙂 I know, there’s something special about a blank page in a journal with pen ready. I’m glad that line stood out for you. The conference was last month and a wonderful experience. I plan to go next year if all works out. Sending love and hugs your way too! xoxoxoxo

  2. I like this phrase: “And so, it is in darkness when I become inspired.” Sometimes, experiencing darkness is a blessing. We appreciate how important light is.

  3. I recall power outages at the farm as boy, when summer lightning storms rolled in. It’s such a different world in the dark, reading with a flashlight, listening to the silence (everything’s pretty much silent for me nowadays). Sounds as though you had an enjoyable experience, Lauren. 😊

    1. Hi Mike, if it’s the right kind of darkness, then it can have a calming effect and provide inspiration. This moment was that kind of darkness on the first day of the conference, so a bit surprising. But it turned out well, and then since the restaurant was closed due to no power, a bunch of us women went out to dinner which was fun. I enjoyed your memories, but I’m not a fan of lightning. 🙂 Thanks for chiming in, my friend. 🤗

    1. Thanks so much, Ritish. I think the fact that this happened at a writers conference was probably a big factor. 🙂 But it was nice with the candles and champagne. I wrote a few others, but they need some editing. Have a good day. 🥰🙏

  4. Hello, soul sister…I love these words:
    …”a cozy spot like mine
    with a small, circular table and chair
    in my private slice of darkness…”
    Your description is calming. The sort of quiet that you can only find in the shadows and contrary to a lot of popular opinion, I think loads of inspiration can be found when we retreat and observe and let the low light…lack of light…guide us. You do this so well, Lauren and then share with us oh-so generously. Thank you! 🥰💕🥰

    1. Soul sister, love it, Vicki! I could suddenly hear Train singing in the distance…https://youtu.be/kVpv8-5XWOI?si=w9Ys1TUhp3LxPgpL (not the same meaning, but the same words) LOL
      And thanks so much for your insightful and beautiful words! This happened on the first day of the conference, so there was a bit of drama. But instead of panicking, I leaned into it, found that table, and wrote. 🙂 And then I was offered champagne. I mean, what could be better, right? 😘 Anyway, I’m glad you liked this poem! ❤️🙏🌷

      1. Fabulous! That’s the song that was in my head when I shared my comment. I love it, too, and it totally came to mind when I read your beautiful post!
        🥰😎🥰 Yay!

  5. beautifully evoked scene with some startling images: reminiscent of Kenneth Tynan’s profile of the ageing Louise Brooks in ‘The New Yorker’ which I’m rereading now ; am I a subscriber? I should be —

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  7. Wonderful scene setting. We lost a lot of atmosphere when we stopped needing candles and I expect that’s why candles are still so popular. I like jotting by hand first so I like to think i would have enjoyed the blackout.

    1. Thanks so much, Janet! At home, we light candles for ambience like you said, so writing by candlelight on this day (though they were battery operated for safety) was kind of nice. It sounds like you would’ve made the best of it too. Thanks again for stopping by.

  8. So exquisite, Lauren. What a beautiful poem. I love the last stanza especially – that validation and inspiration. The whole mood of this is so soft. I felt like I was sitting in that dark at that table with you, my notebook open. ❤

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