Sunlight illuminates thin lines of darkness that exist between weathered wooden slats of a fence that marks the imaginary line
separating my neighbor’s property from mine.

Squirrels chew on acorns while perched on the barrier’s anchor post,
cats paw along the green grass beneath it
and dogs on either side sniff the edges–
when their eyes meet,
they greet each other with playful barks to signal the start of their endless chasing game.

I sit and sip hot tea on this unusually chilly morning,
and I laugh without sound so I do not disturb these natural occurrences

I feel the sun straining to warm this moment,
Only to discover that its golden touch reaches me,
shining light on darkness that I carry somewhere between broken thoughts and the fresh boundaries I found the courage to draw.