Unearthed

For many years, I dwelled in a cave with others like me and because we had never left it we all thought the world was that cave so very dark and cold hidden there under the earth like some shameful secret Then there was a terrible upheaval of ground and ceiling a terrible upheaval when some were killed and some were wounded and most people thought it was the end of the world but it was not When the earth stopped moving and the rocks stopped falling upon us we saw that there was sky where rock had been before we could see it bright and blue we could smell fresh air from afar we could hear the calls of many birds Some ran and hid they covered their faces and turned away but I wounded though I was crawled upon the rocks climbed higher and higher until I stood on wild grass beneath that sky I will never go back to the cave where darkness was all I ever knew here, under the sky, I know darkness for a while but then the day breaks and I have light beautiful warm light that lingers on my skin and feeds my soul light carried on the wind like the calls of many birds precious light I would die without