Dark Brightness by Dan Butler

Dark Brightness

Driving a dark back road
near home in the boonies
of Vermont, hilly, winding,
my thoughts competing
with their own dark turns
concerning our country,
what one can possibly do
that would matter in the face
of such division and cruelty.
An oncoming car interrupts,
we both make the shift from
brights to low, and I wonder
what if this were intentional?
That turning down the glare
became a blessing, a prayer
for safe journey, safe home,
a caring for a passing stranger
to be passed on to someone else,
a blinding light lowered allowing
us to see what really matters—
all of us do, everyone, every one,
and turning to that holy truth
begins a new brightening.

*

Dan Butler is known primarily as an actor, having played major roles On and Off Broadway, on tv, and in film, as well as writing, directing, and producing in all of those mediums. Dan’s poetry has been seen before in “ONE ART” as well as in the anthology “The Path to Kindness, Poems of Connection and Joy.” His debut poetry chapbook will be published later this year.