The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily 1414: This dark is the same dark as when you close by R.A. Villanueva
Dec 17, 2025
In a heartfelt exploration of bedtime rituals, the poem captures a child's fear of the dark and a parent's comforting presence. Imagery of nightlights and origami evoke the tenderness of love as a shield against fear. Music also plays a role, linking emotions to lyrics from a beloved song. This mix of reflection and lyricism showcases the power of poetry in capturing intimate moments of care and safety.
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Childhood Nighttime Rituals
- Maggie Smith recalls needing a nightlight, hall light, and a cracked door to feel safe as a child.
- She says she later did the same rituals with her own children to show rooms were unchanged by light.
Feeling Trumps Logic At Night
- Maggie Smith observes that knowing we are safe logically doesn't always overcome fear in the dark.
- She argues that comfort and feeling, not logic, let us fall asleep even as imagination plays tricks.
Poem's Bedtime Scene
- Maggie introduces R.A. Villanueva's poem about a parent whispering to their son late at night to calm him.
- The poem paints a bedside scene with a changing nightlight and childhood crafts above the bed.