How Long Will Darkness Last?
A big, wide world
Darkness and light
Amber sunsets
And starry nights
Scarlett lies awake.
“Sweet dreams, sleep tight,” says Mama and Papa with a kiss goodnight.
“Wait! Not yet, don’t leave.”
She tugs at Papa’s sleeve.
“What’s the matter love?” says papa in a comforting tone.
“The darkness makes me afraid, sad, and alone.”
“It’s okay to feel that way, but stay hopeful if you can.
Even darkness plays a role in God’s greater plans.”
Scarlett nods her head; Papa’s words help fight off her dread.
She counts down the night with each of her fingers,
Moments tick by and darkness still lingers.
She held her doll, Corelle and in her prayer she asks,
“God, how long will darkness last?”
Through the window she sees a glimmer of light
A star shining bright in the darkness of night.
Time passes, darkness remains, and the silence stays.
Does she imagine the star blazing brighter against the dark night’s rays?
She clings to her bunny, holding him fast.
The windows c r e a k and again she asks,
“How long will darkness last?”
Hours pass and the star continues to shine,
Stretching its beam ever brighter with time.
Brighter every moment since darkness set in.
As she slips into sleep, the darkness grows dim.
Slowly, she drifts off into a beautiful blur.
She hears a poem her Grandmama had written for her.
After winter comes spring,
Cast your worries aside and embrace what each season brings
Through every season, God teaches us a thing or two
About what we can and cannot do.
Winter showers prepare us for spring in the land
Bringing beautiful flowers like nothing else can
We lose sight in the dead of night
But when mourning comes, there is always light.
An eyelash flickers, her eyes open wide.
There lies Scarlett a quarter past nine.
The sun replaced the star and now it’s morning time.
Scarlett is hopeful for the new day ahead,
Anxious to see her parents, she jumps out of bed.
Mama and Papa greet her with a sweet morning kiss.
But before breakfast, Scarlett feels she must ask them this:
“Where does the sun go when we don’t see the light?”
Papa replies, “Ah love, the Sun is always there, sometimes we just lose sight.”
Mama chimes, “We don’t think we will forget the sun, but God knows we might.
He reminds us, though darkness comes, it never lasts. Every morning brings new light.”
Papa says with a smile, “The sun’s bright love never fails. It’s God reminding us that light always prevails.”
Scarlett thought for a moment and then whispered to her dolly, “Corelle, When darkness comes and I feel fear, we need to remember that even when we don’t see it, the sun is always there.”