Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Secrets of the Universe

I am sitting on the subway train
wrapped in my winter coat
& black boots

Around me,
passengers bury themselves
in free morning paper & noiseless music

By now the wheels
chugging is a steady beat 
that I am lulled to light sleep

There is a magic circle
of tree moss, coral, flora & fauna
weaving and rising over my head 

Suddenly, giant umbrellas are scurrying 
people out of their seats, over the graffiti walls 
& above buildings to their heart's destination

Further away than blue-grey Niagara Lake
To where mountains nest
a forest with air so crisp as pine needles 

And here I sit 
on the floor filled with the fallen leaves 
from ancient gingko tree, all golden
like an ocean bed
an infinite tangerine sky
In me,
I am
        I

"crackles" the operator's voice 
announces my exit platform
I rise from my seat
and see a woman across me 
wearing a bright yellow furry coat

Among grey & black coats, she stood out
in the crowd 
like Big Bird, I muse
Then, she turns to me with cheery wave: 
Have a good day!

I catch the speck of yellow 
sun 
as I exit the cold subway tunnel






Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Inspired by title and poem by David McFadden, Secrets of the Universe ~   Please join us when the pub opens at 3 pm EST ~

Picture credit:   Colossal

33 comments:

  1. Oh I was right there with you, especially in the forest.....and I loved the cheerful Big Bird woman!

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    1. She was real, smiles ~ And she wasn't shy telling everyone around her, how she got the bright yellow coat ~ Thanks Sherry ~

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    3. Do tell us, Grace. How did she get the coat? Love the cheerful poem and picture.

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  2. Our two poems started almost exactly the same :-) what a magic moment among the golden leaves... I can really see how such a scene could play out if I close my eyes... and afterwards that lady in the yellow coat.

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    1. My mind is always leaping out of the train, smiles ~ Thanks Bjorn ~

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  3. I enjoyed the progression of this poem and the images. I like the details of the boots, the colors of the coats, the giant umbrellas, and (of course) Big Bird.... I have been stymied by this prompt, but I will give it a try a bit later today now that I see a few examples.

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    1. Just my everyday stuff, smiles ~ Thanks Mary ~

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  4. So fun. The way you played with color and the use of the present tense made this immediate and drew me right in. Yellow is such a perfect color to interject at this time of the year when there seems to be so much gray.

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    1. Yellow stands out in this grey grey winter ~ Thanks Victoria ~

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  5. Your daydream is stunning, & then awakening to the woman in the yellow coat puts me in mind of the little girl in the red coat in the B&W world os SCHINDLER'S LIST. At first this prompt confused me, but reading McFadden got me focused fast; thanks.

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  6. The best place to meet people - the subway/underground/public transport - and to get transported from the mundane to the sublime. I like the gradual build-up in this one, the spark of colour and mischief towards the end.

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  7. Grace, I enjoyed your reverie, particularly the way it all came down to the woman in the coat at the end. Smiles...>KB

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  8. SMiLes... on almost
    every train alive
    at least a little..
    tHeir is
    a free
    bird
    just waiting
    to share some
    feathers to fly
    again..
    for those
    with
    wings
    not yet
    featheredfree
    and now lost in
    yelLowEd fAll...:)

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  9. Bringing all to life with the little things and color at play sure works indeed too

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  10. I do not usually enjoy rides on commuter transports but this one I did. Wow, sitting among all those golden gingko leaves...being surrounded by them and then, the lady in the yellow coat, like a gingko herself. I liked all the details in this.It truly brought me right along with you.

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  11. I love trains...so easy to daydream with you when we are on a train.

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  12. This is such a stunning write Grace :D I especially love the reference of the speck of yellow sun. Beautifully executed!

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  13. It felt like Narnia to me...liked the umbrellas idea and gorgeous photo too

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  14. I really like the blue-grey Niagara Lake, mountains and pine needles...and sitting on the floor filled with the fallen leaves. These imaginings seem like a wonderful escape while commuting by subway.

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  15. Oh my goodness, that photo is gorgeous! As is this stanza:

    "There is a magic circle
    of tree moss, coral, flora & fauna
    weaving and rising over my head"

    Also, I love the unexpected appearance of the bright yellow, fuzzy coat. Too cute. Especially comparing her to Big Bird! :)

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  16. Awesome. We should all be so lucky as to meet someone in a bright yellow coat and matching disposition as we go about our dreary day.

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  17. The Yellow vibrated into a beautiful poem. thanx

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  18. What a lovely dream you drifted off to, Grace. The yellow of the ginkgo leaves transmuted into a yellow coat...cool.

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  19. Bright yellow daydreams...much fun!

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  20. I love it whenever you mention moss :)
    Love that tree, read the article about it a few weeks ago

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  21. We must have been on the same train or wave or something that's a secret.

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  22. Oh, a bright moment in a grey day... just like your poem in my rainy morning.

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  23. Ah, all magical and lovely secrets here!

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  24. I've seen that woman, someday, somewhere. She made me smile.

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  25. Fantastic. I love noiseless music, Grace. Did you say... Big Bird?

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  26. what a wonderful comparison, and a superb juxtaposition of tree to that woman ~

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