you, darkness (a poem from rilke)

you, darkness, that i come from -

i love you more than all the fires

that fence in the world,

for the fire makes a circle

of light for everyone

and then no one outside learns of you.

but the darkness pulls in everything -

shapes and fires, animals and myself,

how easily it gathers them!

powers and people -

and it is possible a great presence

is moving near me.

i have faith in nights.

-rainer maria rilke (1875-1926)