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Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus): photo by Shin-改 12 September 2004
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The candle burning in the window of the dark house in the wood of the valley of the mind --
the epiphenomenal heaven, the signal within the sign --
always lost, yet again to be found
some time.
The boy Buddha rising up from lotus: Trần-Hồ dynasty, 14th-15th century; image by Jbarta, 28 December 2008 (National Museum of Vietnamese History, Hanoi)
Vishnu and Lakshmi on Shesha Naga: artist unknown, c. 1870; image by Aavindra, 11 November 2010 (Victoria & Albert Museum, London)
The Goddess Lakshmi: Raja Ravi Jarma (1848-1906), 1898; image by Praveenp 31 January 2011 (Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Gujarart)
Flower of Nelumbo nucifera, bean of India: photo by T. Voekler, 3 July 2008
Tom,
ReplyDelete". . . the signal within the sign --
always lost, yet again to be found
some time."
10.8
light coming into fog against invisible
ridge, black shape of black pine branch
in foreground, wave sounding in channel
further consequence of this
point of view, actual
view of space measured, its
given surfaces, “line”
silver of sunlight reflected in channel,
cloudless blue sky to the left of point
Having first encountered this as a comment on one of my poems, coming upon it now--accompanied as it is by these images--dulls not its initial wonder but makes it even more wondrous.
ReplyDeleteTrends of the heavens, lost and found signals, light coming into fog against invisible ridge...
ReplyDeleteA sign to keep/watching.
Ahh!
ReplyDeleteWhat poems and what pictures.
Epiphenomenons ...
tip tap-
rain on tarpaulin roof
a song for the ragpicker
This struck home very powerfully and reminded me (as if that were necessary) that sometimes I find myself thinking clearly (or so it seems to me at the time) and other times I feel completely at sea. I immediately "paired" this with "Humility" on Vanitas, which had a similar effect on me and I think they're both likely to remain with me, in those paired positions, for quite a while. Curtis
ReplyDeleteAditya,
ReplyDeleteTip tap
drip drop
the pit-pat chorus of the epiphenomena
(Up to our elbows in the blacktar of torn-tarpaulin monsoon memories...)
Curtis,
Many thanks.
Yes, that enigmatic "compressed" version of Humility is perhaps a bit spookier.
First time round, in case you're curious, a bit of play went with it:
Humility ("long") version
Ah, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! From last Wednesday at the hut ... a bit of synchronicity ...
ReplyDeleteWeek of the lotus. Don
Don, that's lovely. Same thought, same time. Must mean natural sympathy... or good luck... or friend.
ReplyDeletePossibly all of the above.
Tom, it really is amazing how reality dovetails at times, like waves folding inside each other ...
ReplyDeleteDon