Introduction to Every Atom by project curator Brian Clements
Be Careful Darkness
Whitman wrote.
He knew
the claws & paws
of darkness,
how they capture
light & try
to blind
our eyes to hope.
Darkness
at the edges
of our being.
We ourselves are light
pushing aside
the darkness
as we move.
Standing still
lets the darkness
In.
© Erica Mann Jong, 2019
All Rights Reserved
From Erica Jong’s new book, The World Began with Yes, Red Hen Press, April 2019.
Erica Jong is a poet and author of nonfiction and fiction titles. Best known for her blockbuster books Fear of Flying and What Do Women Want?, she also is the recipient of such awards as the Sigmund Freud Award and The United Nations Award for Excellence in Literature.
Cover art by Samantha Schmiesing