The Blank Darkness

by Diane Sprague

She went into the forest because of the deep black color that was closed in between the trees. The blank darkness was gentle and still. It was silent in the woods except for the occasional call from crows. The path directed her deep into the forest, the place where one could be alone, empty, and waiting. In the depth of the forest, where the darkness permeated the surroundings, she closed her eyes and let her breathe flow out of her and carry her sadness into the air. Time eddied and she felt herself falling into another dream, an ancient dream, Buddha’s dream. Before her stood a starving man, a sick man, a corpse, and a monk. They carried a large mirror and placed it before her. She looked into the mirror and was startled to see her silhouette was filled in by the sharp darkness of the forest. She laughed. That’s all she was: a blank, the darkness, a shadow between the trees. She knew she needed to let go of the other image. That was the image of a complex series of ridiculous patterns that made up the definition of her ego that had been foisted upon her consciousness. It wasn’t her, but it imprisoned her. It held her because who can let go and embrace the blankness of the darkness between the trees? “Must I become a monk?” she laughed. Her laughter filled the forest and danced into the trees. All the trees joined the mirth. There leaves began to shake and flutter high above her. The laughter that fills the world broke into her soul. The starving man, the sick man, the corpse, and the monk faded away. She was left alone and her journey had begun. The darkness awaited her and it was finally time to let go.

The picture of the dead tree from the Allegheny State Park was taken by my son Brian Sprague.