Author Information
What the Water Sees
Folder:
Nature The lake has studied the many faces of the sky:
ghostly white islands far from its reach;
a blue bath to dream in;
slow-moving steel clouds holding back heaven;
reborn clouds: calligraphy unreadable from earth.
It knows God better than I ever did.
Shredded light at peace and floating on its pupil.
All the hope of heaven in one drop of the earth's
mists and fury . . .
I can believe it now:
one death between me and finally knowing, one death and one
body and one slender line between it all,
when nothing can touch the quiet chapel of our past;
only the past is safe.
You see it, don't you, sleepless dreamer?
The fathoms Time and only Time can swim?
Your view is better and I'll watch it with
you and perhaps we'll catch a glimpse of the answers
out there.
Red eye of heaven, flames on the water.
The aging face: the most beautiful of all.
by Patricia Joan Jones
In the last few weeks,
In the last few weeks, knowing that I have a double aneurism and may be facing surgery that has a small, but distrubing, mortality rate, I find this poem very helpful to my mood---especially that beautiful line, one death between me and finally knowing; and the quiet chapel of our past, which I mentioned in a previous comment. I like thre way your lines accommodate themselves to the reader's mood and present situation, like old friends who have come to comfort, or advice, or to just sit quietly to assure the reader that being alone is, essentially, an illusion. I know, if and when the surgery becomes necessary, I will be reading Scripture; but I hope I have enough wi-fi and opportunity, in hospital, to read this poem as well.
Starward
My concern and prayers go out
My concern and prayers go out to you. If I've helped in any way, then I consider it a great accomplishment to have written this, which was originally a way to grabble with some existential angst. As always, it is a challenge to convey the debth of my appreciation for your support.
"time and only time can swim"
Love a great temporal allusion! ~S~
Always a pleasure when you
Always a pleasure when you stop by. Thank you so much for your kind comment.
This poem is so beautiful,
This poem is so beautiful, but that phrase "the quiet chapel of our past" should be in EVERY quotation book.
Starward
Thank you kindly for your
Thank you kindly for your uplifting response. I value your opinion, fine poet.
awesome work
what a beautiful poem. I can see why it has such an award. Keep writing.