Too much and too little of everything,
this disembodied crowd of kings and fools–
the culmination of faith is a leap into the unknown–
the spaces between are all that remains.
The details of life become blurred and distorted,
fragments scattered into ghosts
reflecting the collision of bottomless dreams and desires–
too much and too little of everything.
Plans go astray, linger unrealized.
The path is long and winding and there is no map —
what makes us think we have finally found the truth?
(this disembodied crowd of kings and fools)
Does only night reveal the secret of the star?
The past follows us no matter where we go–
how little is really necessary!
The culmination of faith is a leap into the unknown.
The earth embraces us, teeming with life–
what are we looking for? where do we belong?
Will we recognize it when we reach our destination?–
the spaces between are all that remains.
memories are
woven into tales–
time and space
expanded
and compressed—fragments scattered
like ghosts of what is
no longer
there—we know why we
seek this thing–
Divine Light–
but there is no star, only an
endless procession
escaping
from its past—still we
always come
back again,
repeating the well trodden
paths of Holy fools–
and when our
destination finds
us what will
we see? grace
reflecting the gift of life?
or the gold of kings?
I wrote these two poems (a cascade, and a shadorma chain) in response to a painting of the daylight travels of the Magi followed by multitudes of richly garbed men which was part of the Ekphrastic Review Holiday Challenge. These did not make the cut. But when I saw the Earthweal Challenge for the change we are, I thought they fit.
I know my prompt responses often seem to veer off course, and maybe this one is also in that category. Perhaps it stems from my sense of things not fitting properly in the world–myself included–which gives me a general inability to feel I am accurately responding to anything. But I also feel that’s where “we” are at this Solstice 2020. Changes are all around us, but it’s hard to find the proper light in which to tell exactly what they are.
with more art from the archives