Author Information
Untethered Night
A moment ago you were
a wanderer,
but here is home:
the void of sorcery
where all possibilities
dance and compete
for your dreams
when you, at last, slipped out
of the shivering, hard day
you borrowed for a minute.
You are pure spirit
in the dark,
and for a moment you
understand God as
you stand in a
fountain of stars,
meeting yourself
and loving the world
and all the drama
held in stillness,
this prayer without words,
too immense to ponder.
About it,
nothing can be said.
So what was so
important that it
overwhelmed infinity
and seemed to turn
the cosmos into a
dazzling accident,
all chains and
freakish laughter?
Still the brazen, crackling
festival of galaxies
and truth
and gentleness
goes on,
and there's always more,
so much more . . .
The rest is just
tiny, earthly details
when you look up
and let go.
Patricia Joan Jones
How did I miss this? I am
How did I miss this? I am sorry that my health issues contributed to my silence.
This is one of Patricia's centerpiece poems because it contains a phrase that is not only its center of gravity, but also defines her entiire collection: festival of galaxies / and truth / and gentleness. This is what makes her a Cosmic Poet, one of those chosen to be a voice for the silent Cosmos, and who explain the Universe to itself. This is also her explanation to us, about us, and about the potentiality to be pure spirit and to stand in a / fountain of stars.
This phrase, fountain of stars, describes the mechanism of her poetry as well. Each star, including our sun, is a fountain of light. The light you take into your eyes and through them to your soul, call it "that light," is a one time gift: it will be folllowed by more, but never "that exact light" again---once it arrives. (Like the Greek philosopher who wrote that you cannot step into the same river twice.) That starlight is a highly individuated gift to you, like her poems, that lift our seemingly mundane lives to the stellar level. All of our bodies contain elements fused in the cores of stars. I think those elements communicate with the souls of Cosmic Poets, urging them to stand in a / fountain of stars, and then their poems radiate forth like starlight. This is how her poems work. And the stellar communion she describes will bring us to truth / and gentleness.
Starwardist
I’m keeping you in my prayers
I’m keeping you in my prayers and asking that you find all the comfort, happiness and peace you deserve.
I was thrilled to read your sublime, far reaching analysis and insights. Truly astounding and reassuring. “Thank you” just doesn’t seem to cut it, but truly, thank you!
Thank you for the
Thank you for the prayers.
Any poem of yours is a great reading experience; but, within that vast greatness, the poems I call centerpieces stand out radically. I compare them to two cherished astronomical experiences that blessed my life: when I saw, through my hobbyist's telescope, one of the planets (unknown which; just a point of light) move across the star, Vega; and when, in Spring, 1979, I saw the rings of Saturn, in real time, through the college observatory's telescope.
Starwardist
Thank you for filling my day
Thank you for filling my day with incredible encouragement and light. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and inspiring comment. Coming from a true cosmic Poet and humanitarian, that means more than words can say.
Perfect. Every word.
Perfect. Every word. Brilliant. Hugss
Don't let any one shake your dream stars from your eyes, lest your soul Come away with them! -SS
"Well, it's love, but not as we know it."
Your validation means the
Your validation means the world to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and appreciate my work.