The Night is Primary

tear off your job  
your nail polish  
your coping mechanisms  
like pages  
from a paper calendar  

whether necessary  
or not  
those things are secondary  
as is anything indoors  

he's taking you outside  
 
sunlight  
sends your fears scurrying  
back to their dark corners  
to be dealt with later  
it's later  
he's taking you outside  
 
well into the night  
 
night is primary  
howls of coyotes  
other wild creatures  
ring true and clear  
 
You don't see well in the dark  
he takes your hand  
a practical gesture  
soon he'll bind your hands together  
another  
practical gesture  
 
he leads you  
further into the woods  
you feel safe with him  
that's primary  
for being able to surrender  
the secondary  
 
you turn to the stars  
they're cranked up tonight  
having their party  
remote guests welcomed  
they beckon you  
 
join us  
 
you want to climb up  
climb in  
bounce on the moon  
skate Saturn's rings  
blaze your inner light  
vanquish the sun  
but suddenly you're gone  
 
he grabs your hair  
slaps you back to reality  
his actions are controlled  
less cruel than nature  
 
he's your god for the night  
follow him  
capture is secondary  
surrender primary  
 
his soft voice is tinder  
your consent kindling  
 
soon  
his beastly  
fiercely strong  
sources of pain  
lashes  
abrasions  
are indistinguishable  
undifferentiated  
all of them flames  
in a roaring fire  
elemental  
 
primary  
 
you yelp  
scream  
cry  
panic  
the pain is all consuming  
a death  
 
a birth  
your primary self  
lets out a howl  
it rings out  
loud  
true  
 
wild creature of the night  
you're newly ready for the light