Chiaroscuro

chiar•oscu•ro
Pronunciation: -'skyur-(")O, -'skur-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ros
Etymology: Italian, from chiaro clear, light + oscuro obscure, dark
1 : pictorial representation in terms of light and shade without regard to color
2 a : the arrangement or treatment of light and dark parts in a pictorial work of art b : the interplay or contrast of dissimilar qualities (as of mood or character)
3 : a 16th century woodcut technique involving the use of several blocks to print different tones of the same color; also : a print made by this technique
4 : the interplay of light and shadow on or as if on a surface
5 : the quality of being veiled or partly in shadow

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Casual darkness dapples me,
hiding things I'd rather not remember.
I've chosen to forget
all the pain of the past, but I
realize that rebirth can
only come if I face my
shadow self.
Change is bought with pain,
understanding demands sacrifice. I will
reach through my inner darkness.
open myself to the light.

(c) Elle Lassiter, 2004