Startle Dark

Sudden sharp intake of breath. I wake, in darkness engulfing my senses. The deafening silence screams Making me deaf to the smallest sound. Blinking back the caliginosity, Seeming darker still with open eyes. All comprehension of dimension Lost in the decline of evening's torch. As the twilight diminished to nought, All that is left is vastness. Yet lo, in the shadow it manifests, Greyness emerging from the pitch. As evolution of my perception heightens, The tendrils of near-invisible light Start to show the form of the room. The noise in my head calms As my eyes adjust to the night. The room once again has form, Dimension, security, familiarity. I hear my breath, slowed and sure And I know I am safe to close my eyes once more.