She stood there looking at him
Startled by his question
Wondering if he was joking
His frightened manners spoke otherwise
As he sat in a corner
Hiding his face between his knees
She wondered if she did something
To frighten him so
Should she have knocked first?
She had never knocked before

Darkness, from his pocket, whispered
“Tell her to leave. Now.”
With a mumble and a fumble
The boy uttered, “Go.”
With his finger pointing towards the door
His face still planted between his knees
She became still, more puzzled
She wanted to laugh

When his words had no effect
He repeated them
Firmly and bolder this time

“Go away,” he said

Her cheer disappeared
She looked at him closely and realised
He had meant what he had said

Once a cold, cold winter night
Like Sun hadn’t come up for days
The boy was sleeping cozily
Wrapped up in a warm blanket
With Darkness in his pocket

The rough winds rattling the window
Was the only sound they heard
On such cold, cold winter nights
The sound was harsh and cracking
Still they slept comfortable, accustomed

Tonight it was unusually quieter
The boy slept sound
But Darkness was awake
Darkness was alert
Sensing danger in the calm
Like he was to come
Face to face with his biggest fear
Sun was about to rise

He was right
He tapped the boy
Asking him to wake up
His manners were frightening and firm
The boy woke up
To a radiance
Like the one he had never seen before
The glow ignited his bones
But blinded his eyes
Covering his eyes with his hand
He asked, “Who are you?”

He knew Light could harm him not
For he had seen and heard,
Through the faintest opening
Of an untouched window,
Other kids’ merriment
Playing under Light’s cover
Yet Darkness was adamant
That he cannot be friends with them

“Keep away,” warned Darkness
“Lest you become one of them
They are ignorant, foolish
They welcome Day
And shun the Night
They do not know the gains
Of having Darkness as a friend
Do you wish to be like them?”

The little boy hesitated, “But we have no new games to play.”

Darkness replied, “We shall see.”
…
She went through her list
Of places she had to go
People she had to meet
Corners she had to light up

“Sunshine, don’t you tire
Of running around here and there?”

“Tire?” she chuckled
“Whatever does that mean?
How can one grow tired
Of doing what one loves best?
A candle never grows tired
Of eliminating Darkness.”

“But the brighter it glows
The faster it fades
Don’t you think you ought
To take a little rest?”

With a glistening smile
She said, “We shall see.”

There was a little boy
Who carried Darkness in his pocket
For Darkness was
The only friend he had ever known
The boy never stepped out
Of a dingy little unlit room
In the middle of a serene green field
All he ever did with Darkness
Was play Hide and Seek
Darkness was unwilling
To play any other game
And he was unwilling
To hurt his friend
For Darkness was
The only friend he had ever known
Though he wasn’t happy;
For the sake of his friend
He was content
…
There was a little girl
Carved out of Light
Who spread love wherever she went
For she was born for no other cause
All the folks beamed
At the very sight of her
For they knew the purpose of her visit
Some called her Sunflower
For bright flowers blossomed in her trail
Some others called her Sunshine
As she cheered birds to sing
She, though, liked Sparkles the most
She kept herself quite busy
For she had a lot of places to go
And a lot of love to spread
But she never grew tired
For she was born for no other cause
And she was happy