One Step Closer

There is a song,
rhythmic tones
murmuring in the
blackness.

There is warmth.
It is subtle,
like standing by a fire
but not too close.

There is a voice
calling my name,
fighting through the noise,
even if it arrives as a mere whisper.

There is a touch,
an embrace I remember
from a long time ago,
like being swaddled.

It’s been my guide
through all of these
torments and sorrows.
It’s sanity in my madness.

It’s the smile
that I see in the sun
when the clouds finally break,
when somehow I make it one step closer.