Nursing the Dark, Eating the Light<\/p>\n
A Fable<\/p>\n
by<\/p>\n
Radiance Angelina Petro<\/p>\n
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One day, an acorn and a cicada nymph were talking underground, when a beam of light suddenly appeared shining down on the acorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is that?\u201d asked the acorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s light,\u201d said the cicada.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is it tugging at me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what light does.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if I don\u2019t want to move?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDunno,\u201d said the cicada, \u201cI\u2019ve been under here for 17 years. I like the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t been under here for nearly as long,\u201d said the acorn, \u201cbut it sure is comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd cool,\u201d said the cicada, \u201cand snug, and yeah, so cool\u2014wonderfully cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do I do?\u201d asked the acorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pull. \u00a0I mean, my heart feels like it\u2019s breaking, and something inside wants out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo with it,\u201d said the cicada. \u201cSo part of you moves into the light? Your roots will always be in darkness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what about you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe?\u201d Said the cicada, \u201cWell, when the light draws me out, and I climb a tree and wait for my wings to spill out, then my roots will be in the sky.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I try to fight the light?\u201d asked the acorn.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood luck,\u201d said the cicada. \u201cFunny thing is, once during late summer, you fell to the ground and the darkness pulled you under and you loved it. You didn\u2019t resist. You couldn\u2019t resist. I heard you sinking down. You were weeping and laughing all at the same time because it was so nourishing and safe-feeling to be under here. Now you want to fight the light. Try this, just try breathing in the light, and see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The acorn did as the cicada suggested and she suddenly felt the light breathing her and she found herself unfurling into the bright, blue sky, and the light–she was eating the light.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere ya go,\u201d said the cicada.<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you coming?\u201d asked the acorn as she turned away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I have suckled the roots of the mother tree long enough,\u201d said the cicada, \u201cthen I will come. For now I am still nursing the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
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