shadow

encircled by orbiting

in this recurring dream
the forest disappears–
unbound by earthly time,
collapsed into spiraling

the forest disappears
behind layers of eternity,
collapsed into spiraling–
who can disentangle the dark?

behind layers of eternity,
casting threads into moonrings–
who can disentangle the dark?–
the shadows seem insufficient–

casting threads into moonrings
to catch the reflection of owl–
the shadows seem insufficient
for gathering the ancestors–

to catch the reflection of owl,
take your fears and hide them–
gather the ancestors
in the bottomless wildness of light–

take your fears and hide them–
unbounded by earthly time–
in the bottomless wildness that lights
this recurring dream

For earthweal, where Brendan asks us to visit the forest of light and shadow. I am certain one will always find an owl there.

Beshadowed

Forever is black, black is forever,
moon disappears, changes black into moon–
nowhere is lost, afraid, travels nowhere,
soon returns itself to shadow–too soon.

Pretend to be endless, and then pretend
time is a circle without any time–
wind-condensed twilight rides currents of wind–
alive, passing through everything, alive.

Become the orbits as they now become
adrift, sepulchral echoes adrift
among whispers, a stillness caught among
shifts of always and evermore, dark shifts.

Trees grow into night silhouettes of trees–
mysteries surrounding life’s mysteries

I decided to take up the challenge Laura provided at dVerse to write a shadow sonnet. I admit, I started with an old sonnet I had written, but by the time I was done, it barely resembled the original. It needs more work, but it’s time to let it go for now.