When I was a child we played sometimes in the dark; Hide and seek in the dark is a terrible game, With the nerves pulled tight in fear of the stealthy seeker, With the brief exultance, and the blood in the veins like flame. Now I see that life is a game in the dark, A groping in shadows, a brief exultance, a dread Of what may crouch beside us or lurk behind us, A leaving of what we want to say unsaid, Sure of one thing only, a long sleep When the game is over and we are put to bed. |