peacock system, Main Tunnel, past Pothole Sink

     first, there is light.  or rather, darkness.

     your light.  the cave's darkness. 

     your light pushes the cave away, reveals clay, rock, bones

     hard as stone, stone crushed as bone

     beyond your light, nothing.  in your light, particles in the water

     cloud your view, shimmer past with the current, in your face

     cold current in your face, hands brushing your face, silk

     brushing your face, the particulates of seconds, eons, flowing

     past your face, a micro-nano-billionth of a second for this cave

     you, your light, do not last an eyeblink for this cave, which

     has been here so long, and will be here so long, after you

     and your light

     are gone

picture by someone else