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The Golden
Cell
Here there
is gold:
not the far
sparks of stars in the darkness
but the
coursing golden rivers of my veins
so wide
that were you to stand on one bank
you would
not see to the farther shore.
For here in
the alchemy of my cell
distance is
unexpected:
reaching
outwards
then
curving back inwards upon itself
only to
extend outwards once more
to far
night-blue horizons:
an ebb and
flow of infinite space.
I wait in
the stillness of my being
I wait in
silence for her approach
I know that
she will find me.
For in
spite of everything
nothing to
her is ever lost.
I wait,
silent and unmoving.
I wait with
eyes closed
against the
golden dark
knowing
that I must not see her.
For in
spite of everything
I know that
she is shy.
I wait with
lips closed in silence
I wait to
hear the soft rustle
of
approaching wings
in the
golden darkness
journeying
from beyond
the
night-blue horizons
of my
closed eyes
I wait to
feel
the merest
breath of wings unfolded
upon my
face.
Then I will
know that she is close:
close
enough quietly to whisper
that all is
well
and all
shall be well
on the
night-blue horizons
of my
golden cell.
Love this poem!
ReplyDeleteCharles
This poem is sublime! It is a poem to keep and to be read again and again. The words whisper quietly and take us to secret places where thoughts cannot go! The poem describes the richness and infinite vastness of the inner dimension within us, and shows a dimension beyond the mind. The poem seems to describe someone who is in deep contemplation, of finding that inner stillness. Who is the "she" that the subject is waiting for? Perhaps it is Truth or Wisdom. Or perhaps someone or something else? I love how the poem is so touching and yet open and ethereal. For the "she" to approach one must be so still and become so attentive, and only then can one feel her approach. This poem is truly exquisite. And the painting of the blue lady seems to add to the contemplative and meditative aura of the poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Charles for your heartfelt appreciation, and thank you too, Joseph, for such a perceptive response. It was Redon's beautiful painting, which hangs here in Rotterdam, that inspired my words. I find it intriguing that each viewer of this painting seems to see either a man or a woman, which would seem to indicate the androgynous nature of Redon's spiritual vision.
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