A Darkness Full of Light

In the beginning
you need absolute darkness,
to see the subtle light.

Listen, dear friend!
What you on earth, call pain,
can prosper the soul.
The rough bark,
the piercing thorns,
the tangling roots
of the tree of consequence
yield a healing tonic –

Remember!
Suffering is a cure
to cool your fever,
to end your running blind.
Secret grace glows
in the dark bottle
of your despair.
Your lucky name
is on the label.

Your doctor is a specialist
in this dread disease.
He has an ancient remedy
to cure your illness,
to end the loneliness
of exile.

Follow his orders implicitly!
Escape the riot and spin,
the shout and whisper,
the grope and clutch
of the world
for a time
each day.

Be quiet space
and deep relief
long enough to recover
the hidden secret of perfect health –
You, dear friend, are a darkness full of light
that has gone too long, unseen.
Unheard.
_{Original Poem by a Satsangi}