Posted in Jamie Dedes, Poems/Poetry

it was the golden light …

Posted on by The Bardo Group Beguines

800px-dovedale_by_moonlight_-_oberlini awoke
it was the golden light
the moon camping out
casting my room in the
glow of its fire

i thought
for a moment
unsure of my place
forgetting
what city
what state
what day

seconds passed
soundless

slowly peeling away
the veil, the confusion
i melted into
the golden light
breathed myself
into sleep again
done

and done
as easily perhaps
as breathing into
eternal sleep
so frail and fragile
is this anchor
this silver thread
this castle of solitude
this just me
inside me
inside life

– Jamie Dedes

© 2013, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved
Illustration ~ from Allen Memorial Art Museum (Oberlin College) a photograph Joseph Wright of Derby’s (English Derby, 1734-1797) Dovedale by Moonlight (ca.1784-85). Description/details HERE. It’s original colors are greens and I have change the exposure and color to go with the poem.

photo-on-2012-09-19-at-19-541JAMIE DEDES (The Poet by Day)~ I am a mom and a medically-retired (disabled) elder. The graces of poetry, art, music, writing and reading continue to evolve as a sources of wonder and solace, as a creative outlet, and as a part of my spiritual practice.

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8 thoughts on “it was the golden light …”

    1. I could see where you would. Now that I think of it, I could have used his Yosemite and wouldn’t have had to modify it, which truth-to-tell does seem like a sacrilege. Thanks for your comment, Victoria. Made me chuckle. 🙂

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  4. This was very well-penned, Jamie. It’s funny, isn’t it, how focusing on breathing can bring one’s mortality immediately to mind? I found it interesting and made me pause and think about it after reading that you described the moonlight as golden….for me, it’s almost always silvery or pale blue, or a cold white glow. It was unexpected, but memorable because of that! 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Corina. Breath does make us link to both our physical mortality and our spiritual immortality, whatever that may end up being and whether or not it is a “conscious” thing marked by “personality.” This is especially when – like me – you have ILD. One of these days I may write about my experience with pulmonary function tests, which for me sometimes turnes into a kind of rebirthing because of the strained rapid and forced breathing involved.

      Your feedback and insights are always welcome and valuded.

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Kindly phrased comments welcome here.

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