Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tabula Rasa

In the Wake of the Underground Sun, A. Andrew Gonzales



Dare to tear that edge of air
where swallows fly and clouds with voices

Sing songs that lift oblivion high
and drop remembrance behind grieving eyes.

The key is to sit for a while
and smile without duty or obligation

At an auburning evening sky
and perhaps to contemplate one’s fate,

And perhaps to keep one’s spirit open
to the invisible stars that pierce the half-light,

And perhaps to touch a truth that
spreads like paved gravel upon the horizon,

And while the clouds change color…

Perhaps to bathe in blood and weep
or to deliver one’s eyes to the labyrinths of sleep,

And perhaps to have sinister dreams
and to scream one’s fears out loud,

To both confess and absolve one’s Self
and to shed one’s sorrows like a shroud. 

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

the last couple lines says it all...beautiful

Cildemer said...

Coucou ma belle!
Have to come back later and read your beautiful lines again to fully appreciate them!
My hubby is coming from work;o)
I'm so happy my computer is working again!
Had a lot of work since Monday evening(10 hours at least and I haven't finished yet!)to sort out hundreds of photos which we were able to recuperate but that were all mixed together wits loads of stuff!!!

***
Gros gros bisous et à tout bientôt, ma tendre amie****

Blasphemous Aesthete said...

Sometimes, confession is the greatest vindication.
Every thing that is sought is worth fighting for, and in the wake of that, consequences do ensue, good or bad.
Interesting lines Nevine, and I like the picture too. :)

Cheers,
Blasphemous Aesthete

Owen said...

Vibrant, visual, visceral, your words seep into the space around the heart, causing missed beats and gasps of recognition, humility, awe. You touch on the timeless, with feather light wings, wings bearing us with you higher and higher on your voyage. Your voyage which you so generously share with us.

GYPSYWOMAN said...

yes, to forgive, to absolve oneself, that is the secret of the divine! magnificently said, as always, nevine! ;)

Martin said...

"...to keep one's spirit open to the invisible stars that pierce the half-light..." I love this line, Nevine.

adriana said...

Dearest, I read this poem outloud, it resounded magnificently.
I so identified with so many of its lines.
I am in the process of absolving myself and sheding my sorrows. This is so on time. I feel so in tune. Thank you and much love.
(Peace be on the Arab world.)

S. Susan Deborah said...

If only.
If only.

Better said than done, Nevine. You make it seem like an art but truth is not so.

Joy always,
Susan

Shadow said...

perhaps? absolutely!

Cildemer said...

Coucou Nevine!
I'm back again and I still can't pick out my favourite lines because there are too many!
Maybe "sit for a while and smile without duty or obligation"!
I love the idea of doing things because you just feel like doing them;o)
And yes, we do need to confess and absolve one's Self and to shed one's sorrows like a shroud." but it is not something always easy to do.

***
Hope you are having a happy week*
Big BISOUS***

Cildemer said...

Love to meet ladybugs in the garden too!
My favourite ones are those with seven dots;o)

***
SMACK****

Betty Manousos said...

quite an inspirational poem!
your writing has been an inspiration to me.

i seek stillness and silence...however i don't know why but it seems like there's always something that needs to be done.

big hugs, my sweet friend!

betty xx

ps great title, too!

Nevine Sultan said...

David – Thank you. :-)

Cremilde – I’m so happy your computer is working, too. It’s good to see you back online! I also love the idea of doing things without feeling the pressure of duty; this is the best way to do things truthfully and meaningfully. And, oh, since when is truth so easy? We’ll just call it a necessary evil! But, no. Truth is really not an evil at all. And the next time I see a ladybug I’ll be sure to count the dots on her, and I’ll be thinking of you as I do it. ;-) Gros bisous, ma belle, and thank you for always being so sweet!

Nevine Sultan said...

Blasphemous – Consequences always follow everything we do, but especially when we admit to certain things. I’ve always thought confession doesn’t only have to be a confession of sins, though. Sometimes a confession of good deeds is good, too. It reminds us we’re not all that bad, even when we believe ourselves to be. We are trained to confess confess confess as though we are only filled with evil. It’s ingrained in us culturally and by norms. But we can also confess what is beautiful inside. And I do so love that artist’s work, too. He’s so very talented! Thank you for the thought-provoking comment, Blasphemous Aesthete.

Nevine Sultan said...

Owen – I’m thinking it’s the “recognition” that links us all, makes us all human. Don’t we all have these moments along our various journeys of life? We think… we dream… we cry… we deny... we accept… and we move on. And hey… we fly, too. ;-) I’m glad to have you along for the voyage, Owen. It can get pretty lonely without friends to keep you company. :-)

Jenean – We try… and sometimes we absolve and sometimes not. :-) Thank you, Jenean!

Martin – Thank you. The stars are always there, too, aren’t they?

Nevine Sultan said...

Adriana – And it’s such a difficult task, too. But the beauty is that you’ve had the courage to go on this sometimes painful journey. But then, no pain is without its rewards. And why do we have such a difficult time freeing ourselves of sorrow? That’s what continues to baffle me. One would think it’s an easy thing to do. Just release it and move on. But, not! I am happy you felt in tune with my humble words, Adriana. May your journey be bright and filled with stars, always!

Susan – But truth can be art. I think it depends on how we choose to approach it. Some write; some paint; some think; some choose to see themselves from many different dimensions. But then, some allow truth to spring on them on its own schedule, and here I agree that truth is not art.

Nevine Sultan said...

Shadow – Absolutely, yes!

Betty – Yes, I know exactly what you mean. That is why I’ve made a pact with myself to steal a few moments of each day to just “be”. I’ve been occupied for far too long with what must be done and what is “important”. But finding ourselves is important, too. May your days be filled with silent moments and peaceful meanings, Betty. Big hugs back, my dear friend.

Anonymous said...

thats something we should all do, make that pact to be us from time to time.

Nevine you provoke me in many ways..

Rick said...

Nev
Maybe that's where I been messin up
lookin at the stars I can see and not the quiet ones. Thank you
~rick

Craftsman of light said...

Nevine,
i'm absorbed
by how closely you move within the human consciousness, permeable, with the emapathic poetic voices, authentic feelings....that your words fall like starlight on my spirit.

' Dare to tear the edge of air where swallows fly'.....to shed the shrouds of sorrow!

just beautiful!
just like you!!

bisous
col

Jai Joshi said...

What a journey through the human mind. The shame of it is that I don't think most people take the time to contemplate themselves in this way, with this kind of self awareness. They just react and don't realise why they're reacting.

Jai

laughingwolf said...

very well said, nevine :)

Pat Tillett said...

Well written and very thought provoking Nevine!

Dulce said...

*to shed one sorrows like a shroud...* that is a phrase to polish.

a rose despite its thorns or lack of smell, despite its oblivion- is just a rose,and as such, no matter where it hides,shines by itself
as only she knows she does, she does.

Dulce

Nevine Sultan said...

Sir Thomas – Oh, yes, to be us… and also to be “with” us. I wonder, though, sometimes… if we are our own worst company… ;-)

Rick – Messin’ up with what, Rickee? You aren’t messin’ up with anything, so far as I’m concerned. The stars are always there for us, though, even if we can’t see them for the beauty of the sky. Thank you back, Rick… for always reading me with understanding.

Nevine Sultan said...

COL – The transparency of your spirit always shines through, for me; I always feel its… your… presence. And speaking of authentic feelings, it is your authenticity, above all things, that I treasure. Merci pour ton amitié, COL. Bisous back to you!

Jai – Isnt’ it sad, though, when we don’t allow ourselves this time to think and be who we truly are? We get so wrapped up in our “business” and forget about ourselves. We really do!

LW – Thank you; you are a staunch buddy. And I appreciate it!

Nevine Sultan said...

Pat – Thanks, Pat. :-)

Dulce – Do roses know that they shine, though, no matter what? Do they realize when they’ve lost their smell? I think most roses are quite oblivious of their own mortality. But then… oblivion in such a short life might just be the answer. Polish the phrase, Dulce. Maybe its words will glisten beneath your touch.

Madame DeFarge said...

I think we tend to do rather more of the bathing in blood than the self absolution. It's a fine line between self forgiveness and self indulgence though.

Nevine Sultan said...

Mme. De Farge - Absolutely, I agree that self-forgiveness can become self-indulgence only too quickly. I think it's rather in our own hands to draw the line... we always see the signs, don't we?

Ifinder Ifindi said...

Well. So Philosophical and depth, the lines taking to other world. So impressing and ringing unforgettably. 1. Teared the Edges of Air and to keep ones spirit open. 2. (ref)The Naked light : Hands speak the beat of heart, eyes become poems of soul, you know, when soul does not slumber after shutting eyes.- thanking You and with Best Wishes.

Nevine Sultan said...

Ifinder - Thank you for stopping in, pausing to read... both here and there... and for leaving your thoughts.

steveroni said...

Where do I begin...? At the begin! I've not been here for too long a time. Our two blogs seem to have estranged themselves from one another. The blogs are fine...but I suffered.

I missed you, Nevine.

Many blogs have I read 'less than'. But I ask, who is NOT 'less than'...the Queen?

Perhaps...The key is to sit for a while and smile without duty or obligation. Perhaps this is meditation of which I am learning on my FIFTH Monday introductory Buddha classes?

Perhaps one might absolve oneself through willful change? (Perhaps Confessing is easy, compared to absolution?)

One thing certain: 'Mine eyes are being right now delivered to the labyrinths of sleep.' (NOT 'perhaps' LOL!)

You've no idea how good it feels to read your thoughts once more, Nevine! Since I am two days late with this comment, you may not even read. But always I'll know I wrote it-grin!

And I now shed my sorrow at least until tomorrow. (One day at a time!)
PEACE!

Nevine Sultan said...

Steve - Sometimes we estrange ourselves... not for the estrangement in and of itself... estrangement is a dark place to be... but maybe just to think and wonder and knead... and then to come to an awakening of sorts.

Life is full of complications and mysteries... and sometimes we think we can figure it all out... but then we realize we are being delusional. Besides, if we figured it all out, what would there be left to do?

Yes... I shed my sorrows, too... one at a time. If I can't shed them... I lose track of who I really am.

Can I tell you I miss you too, Steve? I do. :-)

Nevine

steveroni said...

My day(s) will now be better leveled, having read your comment here. thank you, Nevine!