Zelda's Inferno exercise: the light does come back

Another exercise from the Zelda's Inferno poetry workshop: writing from a first line provided by another participant

dancing slowly into the dawn
riding off into the sunset
metaphors of solar motion
we all worship the sun at heart
ultimate source of energy
for every living thing on Earth

and so as winter solstice comes
days grow short and nights grow longer
we feel the absence of the light
and no matter how rational
deep down we wonder if this time
the sun will not be coming back

however much we understand
the axial tilt of the earth
deep in our brains the doubt remains
as cold and darkness firm their grip
and hope grows faint for light's return

but cycles are the cosmic way
and that which goes comes back again --
given time, given time, it does

so we gather and reassure
each other that the light comes back
it does come back, it does come back
and days of warmth will come again