how to not feel lost in the dark

let me read it to you…

close your eyes

be still and listen

for the sound of your breathing

feel the texture of things between your fingers

put a little cocoa in your breakfast shake

say yes to a second cup of coffee

find the cat and copy what she’s doing

nap

watch squirrels from the porch

hunt for dust bunnies

read a poem about the night

write a poem about the light

handwrite a postcard to a friend

i wish you were here

stand with your feet in a patch of blooming clover

buy a new frosty shade of lipstick

make soup with root vegetables

mow the neighbor’s lawn when they’re at work

have pie at an old diner

leave a big tip

have a good talk with your deceased grandmother

play solitaire

cheat if you must

arrange flowers in a mason jar

wash dishes by hand

whistle while you dry them

take pictures of clouds and trees and water

write I AM over and over and over on a page of your journal

clean out the junk drawer

find the lost key

forget what day it is

remember how you started

stop trying to escape