dcmarti1 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 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.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdelano Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 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. 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randver Askmadr Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 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. 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 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 Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David W. Parsley Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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