Wednesday, June 23, 2010

A Vision of Soundless Bells



Tomorrow I walked away with a limp
from what was near today,
in search of what is true always.

In the company of towering cedars and cypresses,
across the surface of rivers to the sea;
past and over watery forms
and the rushing of monstrous shadows,
I walked, and slowly.

An unknowable vision cut my sight,
like lightning as it strikes the point of a blade:
a grove of silence or whispers; whispers not to hide the words,
but to necessitate attentiveness.
In the center of the ocean; a glade
like a ripple caused by a falling leaf in a fawn's eye.

In the middle of the glen,
the iris of the ocean,
I saw a golden tree take root in dark soil,
white flowers hidden in the petals of its leaves.
Beneath these untouched flowers, hanging in the breathless wind:
silver pears, like soundless bells.

Tomorrow I walked away from what was near today,
toward this, and it has held my sight.


2 comments:

  1. This is a new thing. I don't know why, but it's a touching thing. I read this, and I GOT IT. I didn't doubt it as soon as I read it the first time through. And I know I have no idea what in the world you were actually thinking when you wrote it, but the essential purpose and point were clear. I'm not sure how to say it since I know that my take will never match up with yours, but somehow, despite me always wanting to know what YOU meant when you wrote it, and knowing that without an explanation, I really can't know that, I feel like I got this one, and it's awesome. I guess it's not all that cryptic really, but it was awesome nonetheless. Understanding symbolism and metaphors and whatnot is definitely NOT my strength, but it fascinates me, so when it clicks, it's magic.

    The visuals in this poem remind me of something between a surrealist movie, the
    Garden of Eden, and the kinds of images that ancient Greek myths stir up. Breathtaking and otherworldly.

    The image of the tree seems so rich and luxurious, but the poem overall is so pure. It's a simple, untainted message running underneath big and beautiful words. The metaphor matches the poem as a whole.

    And if this is true, it is wondrous beyond words.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your poetry is like looking at life through a kaleidoscope. I'll quit trying so hard to understand it and enjoy the beauty.

    ReplyDelete