I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

26 December 2017

And What If Light?

‘And what if light surrounds us like a song –
or what if we are made of singing light?
You cannot prove these propositions wrong,
no more than I can prove that they are right.
Yet what if we had known it all along –
that light and music meld beyond sound/sight?
What difference might it make to you and I?
Perhaps we’d live more lightly, perhaps fly.’

He whispered these reflections to the air,
sending them out upon a rising breath –
then bent again to tend the garden, where
beneath the plaques folk rested in their death.
A woman came towards him, crying, ‘There
is where I want my dears, in solid earth
where I can come and talk to them and pray.’
Her tread was heavy as she moved away.

Around the grave-beds, grasses, flowers and trees
firm-anchored in the soil, while stretching high
into the air, moved slightly in a breeze
as if they danced – as if they’d almost fly.
Wind in the leaves made soft noise; humming bees
thronged the flowers. The sun rose in the sky.
The insects and the birds moved through the day,
uncaring of what he and she might say.


Another ottava rima for the Poetic Asides form challenge.
Also shared at the latest Tuesday Platform, for 'imaginary garden with real toads'.

15 comments:

  1. I am in admiration at how beautiful this is....form, metre, rhythm, flow and message. Loved it.

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  2. You had me at the opening lines!❤️ Such an incredibly poignant poem, Rosemary!❤️

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  3. I love that after the end of what we know comes, it seems that we can do anything... "perhaps, fly".

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  4. I really love how you used the form to give us all that music... I think that light is one kind of music actually

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  5. Perhaps we’d live more lightly, perhaps fly.’.. just beautiful Rosemary!

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  6. I feel like I just visited Eden.

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  7. I love the thoughts of light and music being the same!

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  8. Light and music just have to be connected, Rosemary - 'You cannot prove these propositions wrong'!

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  9. I love this poem Rosemary and keep returning to it ... thank you :)

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  10. This is a gem, Rosemary, entering precisely on the sentiment and then flowing out from there. Last line didn't quite wrap it up for me but still a joy to read.

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  11. The insects and the birds moved through the day,
    oblivious what he and she might say.

    There'll be frustrations and irritations voiced out by those unfortunates and the unwilling but they have to stomach it. Life must go on regardless. Very true Rosemary!

    Hank

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  12. On reading this poem a third (or perhaps fourth) time, I find I am delighted by it more and more. The poetic form, the metre and your crafty versification give a wonderful light and musical touch to a most serious subject. Thank you again :)

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