The Dark Place

Day 23 of NAPOWRIMO. Sanaa’s prompt is to write a ghost story or a story that calls to darkness.  It is open link day at Toads but I am following the prompts for the 30 in 30.

The Dark Place
…”when the sun hides its face for years at a time, and little children
are born and live and die all in darkness while the direwolves grow gaunt and
hungry, and the white walkers move through the woods” George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

in the woods across the road there is a corner –
dark amidst the brightness of green
and tree filtered light.
the corner is in the northwest quadrant
and in that space is a small stone, old
and covered with moss beginning to crumble.
on the stone is Rest in Peace and it points
to the west – not the east.
the people who buried this person
hoped he would not rise again.
the corner is dark, even at high noon –
heavy dead vines, like calcified snakes
strangle the life out of the two trees
in that corner, no green growth,
no animal life, even the fallen leaves
blow away in the wind leaving the hard earth
bare. I don’t know who is buried there.
I just know I walk past
the place quickly, with my fingers crossed,
and my head down.
The darkness calls out to me
but I dare not heed.
I dare not heed.

Darkness Wins

For Bjorn’s physics prompt on Real Toads.  He asks us to write of black holes, space time curvature, maybe even the opposite, white holes and event horizon, and other fun topics along the theme of relativity.  He says physics may scare us.  I ain’t afraid of no physics!

Darkness Wins
“Some things are more precious because they don’t last long.” Oscar Wilde

The darkness wins.
Light is being pulled into the overwhelming blackness.
Winter is coming for us all.
No warm autumn,
No colored leaves,
Only dead dry cornstalks in the fields
And dried grasses by the road.
The light is daily dying being pulled into
The black hole of winter.
Each day the light shines less.
The darkness is growing greater.
No brilliant blue skies –
No chrysanthemums blooming –
Darkness is coming for us all.
The darkness wins.

black hole

 

Abrha’s Birthday – What is our gift to the world?

At d’Verse Poetics, today is not only Poetics day, it is Abhra’s birthday! Happy Birthday!!!! He has gifted us with an incredible poem by Tagore and as the Poetics Prompt, asks us to write about, what we would give to the world as our gift. Come visit to read Abhra’s post and to read the poems linked. What would your gift to the world be?
http://dversepoets.com/2015/10/06/poetics-what-is-your-gift/

The Last Thing Left Behind
World looked at the battered box with a carefully blank expression. “Very nice? Thank you, I think?” And indeed, I regifted World a previously given gift. The box was full of nicks, stained by tears and blood, rusted hinges, covered with dust and grime. I said to World, “this was given to you long ago but I think you have forgotten it. All the other items in the box are gone, only one item was left behind. Open the box World, open and remember.”

World shook the box. Something inside rattled from side to side. Content that it would not explode, World opened the box. At the bottom was a stone. As World brought the stone out of the box, it began to glow and pulsate. A fragrance like the breath of the sea, the incense of pines, the prayerful aroma of all the flowers in the world, the sweet sniff of the smell of a newborn baby’s soft little neck. World breathed it in and began to smile. Shoulders bent with care, bruises from wars, tears from sorrow – they all began to disappear, to heal. “What is this gift? Tell me, what is this gift that has the colors of sunrise and rainbows, the light of ten thousand stars in the darkness of night? Please, tell me.”

“Hope. Simply, Hope. Years ago when the box was opened, horrible things entered the world. But as all the evil left the box and entered the world, this one thing remained and will never leave – Hope. Never forget. Open this box often and enjoy this gift. Open the box everyday. Share the gift. It grows greater the more you share it.” World smiled and cradled the beautiful stone in her hands. She took the stone and placed it in my hand. “The sharing begins.”

cold night of winter-
stars break the darkness into
bits of light so all can share.

Pandora – detail from Greek urn – public domain

dVerse Poetics – Contradiction

At Meeting the Bar today at dVerse Poetics, Bjorn wants us to write a poem using “antithesis” as the poetic device.

“Begin at the beginning… and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ~Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Truth is a contradiction:
Warped truths lies hidden –
Pretty lies flaunt themselves.
Within us –
Deepest darkness,
Light of hope.

We sail on a voyage of life
That only ends at death.
Progression regression,
Knowledge ignorance,
Joy sorrow,
Deepest darkness,
Light of hope

End of the voyage
We disembark and
Cross the bridge
To another world.

In the darkness
The light of the stars
Remind me of the love
I believed would melt the darkness

 

Winter Solstice: 冬至 touji

copyright kanzen sakura
Winter Solstice

Through time, there has been a fascination with light and fear of darkness. Different cultures celebrate the changing of the seasons in different ways. Solstice is one of those major event changing times – the shortest day, the longest night. I like the Japanese perspective of this dark/light. To them, it is the beginning and celebration of the diminished power of darkness and the strengthened power of light. Nights begin to get shorter. There is more light in the world. The world is moving from the time of cold towards the season of flowers. Winter may be being felt and snow may fall, but now we can hope for the spring because the darkest night has passed.

The positivity of this thought and meditation reminds of how at the darkest time, the Light of the World was born. Into our darkness came the Light that moves us from evil to good, from sorry to joy, from earth to heaven. “The darkest hour is just before the dawn”.

One of the Japanese customs I enjoy on solstice (Candle Night, touji) is taking a bath in a fruit: Yuzu. I can’t find it over here in the states so I use a few cut tangerines and grapefruit…that is how the fruit smells and tastes. it is used to cleanse your body and while you are bathing, it cleanse your mind and soul by the aroma you breathe in. Public baths will offer Yuzu baths. People will also gather to their hot spring baths, private baths, etc. to bathe in water with Yuzu. It is also said, bathing in this fruit will keep you from getting a cold! I don’t know if that is true, but it doesn’t hurt and a long, meditative, fragrant, steamy bath never hurts!

Winter solstice is a time of meditation and prayer for me. A lot of folks have parties, bonfires, celebrate the Pagan Yule; good for them! Driving away darkness with joy is a fine idea to me. However you celebrate (or not) the Winter Solstice or Christmas, remember: We are moving from darkness to light. Let thoughts and prayers of hope, joy, peace, light, good, compassion – positive things fill you and let them loose into the world to spread it to others. You be the change. Let peace begin with you.  Blessings to you and those you hold dear in the coming season of light.

Yuzu Free Wikipedia Image

 

12/21/12 12:21 am

The earth softly turns

In its sleep.  A sigh in the

Dark.  Sussuration.

 

A half moon gently

Glows through India ink tree

Branches.  Bare.  Frozen

 

In time. Ending and

Beginning as well.  Beginning

Winter and iron

 

Earth.  Ending of warm

Soil and extravagant blooms.

Time to rest, repair.

 

My footsteps crunch on

Frosted grass.  No fear of this

Darkness, this aloness.

 

No grief at this end.

No fear of this beginning.

Silent. Aware. Calm.

 

The earth softly turns.

I hear it sighing in its sleep.

I smile in darkness.

 

12/12/12 12:12 am

12/12/12  12:12 AM

 

Alone at my post –

My Household snug in warm beds.

Neighborhood silent.

 

Warmly wrapped I gaze

At the night sky.  The Twins

Glow and pulsate to

 

Their own stellar beat.

Fireworks stream against the black

Sky.  Celebrating

 

Celestial joy.

White yellow blue red green – My

Eyes cannot follow

 

The steady bursts of

Glitter strewn by their Maker

To dazzle the few

 

Like me who look

For joy and light in the dark

Places – and find it.