June 15, 2011

The Bowl of Roses (III)

Still Life: Pink Roses

And this above all: that through these petals
light must pass. From a thousand skies,
each drop of darkness is filtered out
and the glow at the core of each flower
grows stronger and rises into life.

And the movement of the roses
has a vibrancy none could discern,
were it not for what it ignites
in the universe entire...

One could say they were self-contained
if self-contained meant
to transform the world outside,
patience of springtime, guilt and restlessness,
the secrecy of fate and the darkness of Earth at evening—
on out to the streaming and fleeing of clouds
and, farther yet, the orders of the stars—
take it all and turn it into
a handful of inwardness.

See how it lies at ease in these open roses.

New Poems

4 comments:

  1. One could say they were self-contained
    if self-contained meant
    to transform the world outside . . .
    . . . a handful of inwardness.

    !!!

    How does he let light pass through this way. Soooo quietly. You have to hush way down and listen, to hear him transforming you inside.

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  2. ruth i really admire how he contains the tautness of his understanding inside the soft lyricism of his writing. these three pieces have captivated me and i have been reluctant to comment because they settle inside me so quickly and find a home at such depth that i find it difficult to respond. there's simply too much noise to be passed through in the process of retrieving and recording the sensations. steven

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  3. "Take it all and turn it into a handful of inwardness." I think I will have that carved on the inside of my front door, so that when I venture into the world each day, I will remember what to do with my experiences.

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  4. "A Handful of Inwardness": I can imagine a poetry collection with such a title.

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"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Go ahead, bloom recklessly!