I visited the Collage Box Oracle for Sue Vincent’s photo prompt, below.
all life is flow
we mix and match waves that return
only to disappear
step into each moment–
illuminate whatever it is with wonder
The photos made some interesting thought combinations too. But then the Oracle is like that.
I hold out
my hands and wait for
the moon to
fill them—I
close my eyes to balance on
the edge of the light
I render
myself, quiet the
quivering,
awaken
the colors beyond darkness–
depths turned inside out
Shadorma for Colleen’s #Tanka Tuesday words, give and shake. Photos are of last night’s full moon as seen from the sidewalk in front of where I live.
Also linking to OLN at dVerse, hosted by Grace.
Like the moon, I am an echo, repeating
the gravities of my orbit–
anchored inside by both light and dark,
circling me, refacing me
The gravities of my orbit
give me direction but not location–
circling me, refacing me,
scattering my stardust into the void
Given direction but not location,
like Janus, I am always between–
scattering my stardust into the void
with no before or after
Like Janus I am always between–
I am not looking for eternity
with no before or after,
life is always right here and right now
I am not looking for eternity
to position me in a narrative–
life is always right here and right now–
its beginning and end are unknowable
I am positioned in a narrative
of patterns I don’t understand–
its beginning and end are unknowable–
I dream of circumvention
Following patterns I don’t understand,
anchored inside by both light and dark,
I dream of circumvention–
like the moon I am an echo, repeating
My second pantoum for the dVerse theme of echo.
More art from the archive. Still going in mystifying circles.
Have you listened to the night sky
opening yourself wide
to let it echo through you?
Have you tasted the stars?
Opening yourself wide
have your eyes become mirrors?
Have you tasted the stars,
your veins glowing?
Have your eyes become mirrors
of infinite silences,
your veins glowing,
drunk with the darkness
of infinite silences?
Have you been pulled,
drunk with the darkness,
into luminous trajectories ?
Have you been pulled,
revisiting the returning
of luminous trajectories,
forever somewhere else?
Have you revisited the returning–
let it echo through you
forever as somewhere else?
have you listened to the night sky?
This is the first of two similar pantoums I composed for Merril’s dVerse echo theme. The art is from the archives.
As you may have noticed, I like the repetition and echoing in the pantoum form, and the way it circles back on itself. You may have also noticed I often write about the night sky, the stars, and the moon, often assisted by the Oracle. Merril and Jane, who are also acquainted with the Oracle, told me not to read their poems until I had composed my own, but I’m guessing stars appear in theirs somewhere too.
Of course stars echo in light!
vibrating wind–
harsh, unending,
bringing news of winter
under dusky grey,
a barrier
closing the sky
tree bones rattle
with last leaves–
night is everywhere,
penetrating
with howling vision
the sanctity of sleep
retreat is impossible,
surrounded by chanting
and invisible hands–
the edge of a nightmare
hovering
on the threshold
ghostlike it journeys,
knocking on each door,
finding the cracks
in each soul,
sundering the barricades
of every defense
no prayer
or good luck charm
repels the chosen path
of this bleak revenant–
its faceless form
looms like a black tide
its cacophony rises,
too many voices calling
to distinguish the words–
what does it seek
from the fabric of the living,
now torn to shreds?
unweaving the center,
rearranging the remains–
songs of lamentation
shatter the circle,
extinguish all illusion
of rescue or escape
Jane Dougherty has posted 3 of her poetic responses to the Ekphrastic Review challenge that featured a painting of a town, “Noe Valley”, by Matthew Rackham Barnes. I too found the image creepy (and I wonder if that was the artist’s intent–I actually think probably not). My poem wasn’t chosen either, but I’ve done a collage inspired by the painting and here it is with the poem.
shivering into
the marrow of the moon as
it rises singing
For Frank Tassone’s #haikai challenge #116, cold moon.
I borrowed the painting by Marianne von Werfkin that Jane used to illustrate her moon gogyohka as inspiration for my collage.
I really like H Schlagen’s work, and seeing his painting “2 Alchemisten und die Orakel.” which he posted yesterday, inspired my collage and consultation today. Is this not the why?
Awaken broken stars—bring
sacred joy home with rhythms
sailing open vast voices
surrounded by wild fools born
of the secrets dancing holes
in morning and night—is this
magic? Is this not the why?
