No Fear of the Dark for Franziska I In my December I remember when The thunder said turn back and I wondered Forswear thy foolish ways is what it thundered I wonder now again like I did then I remember now how I was somehow No turning back going wrong all along Knowing but learning the hard way I was wrong In my December I remember now Though mad being glad I remember what Is real after all seeing what is not Sadder but wiser they say but what I say Is when I was born it thundered that day II In corners better not to look In consequence of a chance they took In parallel reality In an existential irony In there without toxicity In but not out of proximity In where to be is not to be In belittled little boxed-in hell No vacancy in the roach motel III I had to choose between the Bruckner Third Symphony on the radio Or else what I thought was this bird I heard That I had never heard before Hearing it appear out the kitchen door Having to choose to stay or go Out and about to know or not to know Unheard what this bird had to say The dogs and I wondered but understood Go out there no doubt Bruckner would Still be on the air until afterward Though they knew I had heard no bird But misheard some flute in the symphony Become a bird and fly away The dogs were glad to go out anyway To know or not to know with me IV The light is so bright it hurts my eyes The moon tonight rising to my surprise O moon take me up too as you rise To wake up the night shake things up like you Seem to do O moon enlighten me Wake me up fearless like you seem to be No fear of the dark to frighten me Surprise me and make me surprising too Steven Curtis Lance