Candle light is waning in the mid of night.

A gentleman refraining from the sleepers’ plight;

Heavy thoughts remaining.

Can the roving mind deeply reach for truth,

And in the darkness find some revelating proof,

That all men live best blind?

Secrets are truths hidden, and when shown they are spread,

Like the plagues from back then which soon become widespread;

All wishing that it hadn’t been.

Secrets linger in the dark or so I long have heard,

And that the truth will lurk ’til letting go the word,

To release the berserk.

But he knows as I do, this gentleman insomniac,

That a secrets residue keeps him wake in black,

But saves all those in view.

K. Aldaya, 10/17/04

Picture:  “An Old Man Writing a Book by Candlelight” by Godfried Schalcken (1663 – 1706); http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/290274