How to Stay Warm in the Dark

The lights are kept off

And when they come in

They lay down

Right away

On the floor

There are blankets

And pillows

It’s not uncomfortable

But when you--

You see, when you experience

Something

Anything

For the first time

It’s abrupt to the mind

It’s--there’s a resistance to it

So when I walked in

I--My first impulse

Was to walk back out again

Because it was dark

But I could see bodies

Lying on the floor

And, you know, at first

It doesn’t look natural

It looks like everyone’s sleeping

And I later found out

That some people were

But some--many--were awake

I found a spot

Away from everyone else

And laid down

On what was a very soft blanket

And there was another blanket nearby

So I pulled that over me

And there were a few pillows as well

And I immediately felt very comfortable

Not with the surroundings

But just--physically, I felt good

Then someone whispers to me

I don’t know who it was

But they said--

It won’t work as well

If you’re over there

I felt very, uh, defensive

Hearing that

But I also knew

They were right

That’s the whole reason

I was there

So I got closer

To the, uh, throng

On the floor

It was--I’m exaggerating

It was about seven bodies

There on the floor

Or six--

I was the seventh

I got close to this woman

She nearest to me

And I got close to her

And I heard her say--

It’s all right

So I, uh, I put my arm

Around her

And then I felt another arm

Someone’s arm

Another woman’s, I think

My eyes never really

Got used to the darkness

I have trouble

With seeing

In the dark, but, uh--

An arm went around me

And we all just laid there

We laid there for a long time

A few times throughout the evening

Someone would get up

And leave

Or someone new would come in

I felt another arm around me

At one point

And then somehow

It felt like

I was in the middle

Of all those bodies

Keeping warm

I looked up at the ceiling

But I couldn’t make it out

What it looked like

Whether it was one color

Or spackled

Or if there was a light fixture

Or a ceiling fan

Or what

After what felt like

Three or four hours

Someone came over

And told me

It was time to go

So...I got up

I got up

And I left

As soon as I stepped

Outside

The cold hit me

It was…

I’ll tell you, I--

I don’t think

I’ve ever been

So cold

In my life