The Darkest Hour
James Baldwin

The darkest hour
is just before the dawn,
and that, I see,
which does not guarantee
power to draw the next breath,
nor abolish the suspicion
that the brightest hour
we will ever see
occurs just before we cease
to be.

The Darkest Hour
George Santayana

Smother thy flickering light, the vigil’s over
Hope, early wounded, of his wounds is dead.
Many a night long he smiled, his drooping head
Laid on thy breast, and that brave smile he wore
Not yet from his unbreathing lips is fled.
Enough: on mortal sweetness look no more,
Pent in this charnel-house, fling wide the door
And on the stars that killed him gaze instead.
The world’s too vast for hope. The unteachable sun
Rises again and will reflood his sphere,
Blotting with light what yesterday was done;
But the unavailing truth, though dead, lives on,
And in eternal night, unkindly clear,
A cold moon gilds the waves of Acheron.

In the darkest hours
Rasma Raisters

In the darkest hours
when my heart is full of sorrow,
I know that I’ll feel different tomorrow,
but for now,
while musical notes linger,
while the muses softly sing –

I long for the yesterdays of my youth.
It’s not that there is anything to regret,
I could say life has been more than kind,
love has saved me many a time,
I am blessed to know you were mine,

that true love never dies
and someday you’ll give your hand to me
and forever together we’ll be.
Just something in those midnight hours,

that bring memories,
bittersweet flowing back,
remind me of times,
when smiles were abundant

and tears were few.
Wish I knew then,
what I know now,
life must go on,
be lived with joy,

there will always be memories
and dreams to enjoy.
I know that life.
has so much more to give,

in these darkest hours,
as shadows fill the corners,
I know that you are there,
not far away from me,
you the memory of a yesterday left behind

and all I have to do is reach out,
to remember your face,
hear your voice
and I can smile again.
I won’t let the tears fall,
but bravely go forth,

out into the starry night,
where the moon –
radiates its glow from above.
In these darkest hours,
the stars symbolize to me,

the smiles of long ago.
When I feel sad and blue,
I know that time will pass
and the morning will bring new hope.
Meanwhile, I can take pen to paper,

let my emotions flow,
for the night is not long,
the dawn will light up the sky soon,
this I truly know.

In these darkest hours,
as darkness envelops me,
I never give up on all the tomorrows,
though they are not promised me,
I know for quite some time more,

I will be living and loving
and glad to be.
So forgive me,
for a moment of weakness,

when nostalgia strikes.
It takes no words to understand,
that even the darkest hours –
pass into the brightest of days.