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Poetry Magnum Opus

Like jasper, clear as crystal


dcmarti1

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Here I understood that the Lord beholdeth the servant with pity and not with blame.

- Julian of Norwich

 

At His solstice, among the wood and stone,

with silent windows whose holy art

could not sing from mere candle-points of light

both billions of miles and billions of years away,

it was neither love nor fear but Majesty

that swept me up, only to have me kneel.

That unclouded and knowing night I recall

like jasper, clear as crystal.

 

At His table, among the marble and linen,

with gleaming ware He would not have used,

the sanctuary was a kaleidoscope:

infinite shards blessing the very air,

anointing and alighting each communicant.

Divided from myself I stood with cup and plate

and observed me chanting that afternoon

like jasper, clear as crystal.

 

But oh, in that most gloomy closet

where neither face nor form are sanctified,

where neither face nor form are profaned

by taper, sun, or star; where neither name nor clan

are respected and conversion is unknown;

where neither prayers nor hymns have been uttered,

we were still held to be His: precious

like jasper, clear as crystal.

 

(Inspired by Rev 21:11, using it as the last line of each stanza.)

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The language hearkens back to times of the Bard, times of eloquent expression of epiphany, relationships and wonder. Yes, I'm drooling my oatmeal again. Great work, Marti.

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Paco, mi gran amigo.....thanks for reading and commenting. That phrase "like jasper, clear as crystal" is NOT my invention. I finally read ye olde bible. Some dreadful and painful stuff, some so-so, some good, but a phrase like that.....could not pass it up. :)

 

I seem to remember someone saying "good poets borrow, great poets steal".

 

 

The language hearkens back to times of the Bard, times of eloquent expression of epiphany, relationships and wonder. Yes, I'm drooling my oatmeal again. Great work, Marti.

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I enjoyed the read which prompted me to read her biograph.

Initially thought of jasper and crystal as a contradiction in terms; jasper usually being opaque and/or spotted. A little further research however, informed me that the ancients used translucent green jasper for ring seals as far back as 1800 BC. Never too old to learn something new. :biggrin: Thanks for posting.

 

 

There are ancient turf mazes in several parts of our country: the nearest to me is on the hills that overlook the confluence of the rivers Ouse, Trent and Humber. It's called Julian's Bower. Not sure though if there's a mysterious connection in the distant past.

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Randver Askmadr

I agree with fdelano, reminded me of the bards of old. I know, I do medieval stuff all the time and we just had a Shakespeare reading contest over the weekend. Very good my friend.

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Thanks, RA. I appreciate your reading and commentary.

 

 

I agree with fdelano, reminded me of the bards of old. I know, I do medieval stuff all the time and we just had a Shakespeare reading contest over the weekend. Very good my friend.

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It is always a big "Whew!" when the B-man says sumthin nice! :)

 

Thanks.

 

I enjoyed the read which prompted me to read her biograph.

Initially thought of jasper and crystal as a contradiction in terms; jasper usually being opaque and/or spotted. A little further research however, informed me that the ancients used translucent green jasper for ring seals as far back as 1800 BC. Never too old to learn something new. :biggrin: Thanks for posting.

 

 

There are ancient turf mazes in several parts of our country: the nearest to me is on the hills that overlook the confluence of the rivers Ouse, Trent and Humber. It's called Julian's Bower. Not sure though if there's a mysterious connection in the distant past.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Again I echo, again I loop, you say steal I say 'High Found Art' ;-) The images crystalline, the verse divine, and the disrupt of the repeated ending, the jarring well placed.

 

Excellent!

 

Juris

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  • 2 months later...
David W. Parsley

Another profoundly paradoxical Communication from a poet from the inside, so to speak, who protests so much on the subject of organized religion, but can't stop writing about the experience of it. Reading this work was very moving for me, dc. It put me in so many different places concurrently, it was almost disorienting, yet succeeded for me in an expansion of consciousness . I did more than one read before being brave enough to tender compliments and gratitude.

 

In the end, I was moved to a session of renewal to a higher Communion. That is a private matter, but let me offer one of the thoughts that occurred to(!) me while in this state of meditated epiphany. It comes from the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelations:

 

10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

 

Thank You (I think),

- Dave

 

 

P.S. I see that this was published by The Art Studio Inc. Congratulations, my friend!

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The Revelation quote you have IS where I came across that phrase. It struck me immediately, and, if I may be VERY honest, was probably the ONLY passage in that particular book that spoke to me. The Julian quote -an ever so cautiously cryptic Medieval quote on Universalism- is one of my favorites.

 

I will amend the post to include "Rev 21:11" as a reference. I probably should have had it from the beginning.....Oh, thanks for reading and commenting!!

 

 

Another profoundly paradoxical Communication from a poet from the inside, so to speak, who protests so much on the subject of organized religion, but can't stop writing about the experience of it. Reading this work was very moving for me, dc. It put me in so many different places concurrently, it was almost disorienting, yet succeeded for me in an expansion of consciousness . I did more than one read before being brave enough to tender compliments and gratitude.

 

In the end, I was moved to a session of renewal to a higher Communion. That is a private matter, but let me offer one of the thoughts that occurred to(!) me while in this state of meditated epiphany. It comes from the 21st chapter of the Book of Revelations:

 

10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

 

Thank You (I think),

- Dave

 

 

P.S. I see that this was published by The Art Studio Inc. Congratulations, my friend!

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Thanks for reading. I am so sorry that I missed replying. You'd make a great defense attorney, keeping me from indictments of theft. Also glad you liked it.

 

 

Again I echo, again I loop, you say steal I say 'High Found Art' ;-) The images crystalline, the verse divine, and the disrupt of the repeated ending, the jarring well placed.

 

Excellent!

 

Juris

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