A labyrinth
grew under her breast bone
warping her memories
weaved of yellow flowers
whose center arcs to sun's gaze
Time unraveled
thread upon thread of palest grey
no needle could stitch
back where & how it started-
she was lost ship in deep wide sea
As wind cloaked the night
stone-washed, silted with weeds-
she saw the stars
dotting the sky silver keys
lighting a diamond-shaped map
Beginning with her face
redrawing & stitching
her arms & legs, calligraphy on
canvas expanding with each breath -
She never felt lost again
Artist: Hinke Schreuders
Posted for Imaginary Garden for Real Toads - Play It Again - Inspired by Jorge Luis Borges - become lost in the maze of language, magic & endless possibilities - Kerry's Challenge
and Poets United - Thanks for the visit ~
Wow.. This is amazing.. How you can find your way this way... By constellations and songlines intrigue me.. But I guess that's the trick sometimes.
ReplyDeleteDear Grace
ReplyDeleteI like that poem. It have a very speciel amtphoshere.
The picture is a gerat choise- like it too. Fits together...
JetteMajken
very intricate
ReplyDeletemade me sad to see the memories of the woven yellow flowers had disappeared.
Looks like a prompt I ought to try.
How well this reads and how well it fits the artists work.
ReplyDeletenice...we have to find our own way...and often healing comes through us doing that...choosing to re-stitch ourselves in the stars...of seeing the possibility of where we are/who we are/who we can be....
ReplyDeleteSometimes it does seem we have to do some redrawing and restitching on the canvas of life! Have a nice week, Grace.
ReplyDeleteI wondered what had hurt her so much in the first place but was glad she was whole again eventually. A very atmospheric poem, Grace.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine not feeling lost again. Congratulations to the speaker in the poem for reaching that height!
ReplyDeleteAn Ernest Whirl
she seems to have a new awakening, new life in another hand...this one's a maze Grace..and magical...
ReplyDeleteWOW! From the very first image of this poem, I saw a relationship develop--a palpable connection between her and her life in needle and thread, in her nervous and circulation systems, in her environment, in the sea of her spirit, in the night sky--one that cannot exist without the yellow flowers, but follow every possible way from there, all simultaneously! I shall keep this poem forever. All experience matters. Where would she be had she never encountered those flowers? Never stood outside? Perhaps lost.
ReplyDeleteShe found herself at last. Quite a feat!
ReplyDeleteEverybody seems to be on a real creative roll this week and you are right on top of it! Great!
ReplyDeleteZQ
Stitch ourselves back up and off we go, a new path can heal indeed
ReplyDeleteGood golly, this grabs me and twists me up into oblivion:
ReplyDelete"A labyrinth
grew under her breast bone
warping her memories"
Love the ending as well:
"lighting a diamond-shaped map
Beginning with her face
redrawing & stitching
her arms & legs, calligraphy on
canvas expanding with each breath"
Know thyself. Masakatsu agatsu - True victory is victory over oneself. Very well expressed poem.
ReplyDeleteWow Grace--what a gorgeous write. I love the imagery and it just makes me want to hold my breath
ReplyDeletevery, very nice, Grace.
ReplyDeleteYou have woven a mysterious portrait in shades of grey and starlight. Very beautiful work.
ReplyDeletestunning...there is something very poetic about loosing yourself in the light and finding yourself in the night. this was definitely well stitched.
ReplyDeleteHey Grace, this was excellent beyond words. I totally love the artwork and the superb way you wrote this piece. :)
ReplyDeleteJamztoma
Jamztoma.blogspot.com
Beautiful...it seems we are always restitching our universe of me
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou are good, Grace! I loved how the words just came and came.
ReplyDeleteI could get lost in the first part and just want to stay there. Sooo pleasant, like when I fell and broke my knee cap, with other scrapes, bends, and blood, I just wanted to lay there. But two young people came too quickly to help me up. They handed me the star map which got complicated.
..
This is magical, Grace...your imagery is stunning. I love the idea of redrawing and stitching yourself...the photo goes perfectly with your words.
ReplyDeleteGrace, I always enjoy your poems..the third stanza really was my favorite so much there.
ReplyDeletehooked!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine mapping out the unwinding or my life by looking up for directions given by the night gods.
ReplyDeleteYOU! Master of descriptive gentleness, of love and remembrances.
ReplyDeleteA PLEASURE, Grace!
Your poem is perfect for this piece Grace. Just perfect. The artwork is beautiful.
ReplyDelete'she saw the stars
ReplyDeletedotting the sky silver keys
lighting a diamond-shaped map' -- oh, this made me sigh and smile and smile. your poetry is ever filled with magic and wonder, Grace.
"as wind cloaked the night" is my favorite line, Grace. good week to you ~
ReplyDeleteThe image of a needle stitching the night sky and all tied in to emotions and memory.. lovely!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful, Grace! How comforting it is when you can see your next step at the map, marked with stars...way to go! :)xx
ReplyDeleteTime unraveled
ReplyDeletethread upon thread of palest grey
It is a great way of getting shades of paleness unraveled from the grey of day or even dark of nights. Great word craft Grace!
Hank
You find the most amazing images, Grace and I can never tell which came first the poem or the image they both stand their ground so poignantly. I love the opening two lines and then for me this, "she was lost ship in deep wide sea" I really like how you avoided using "the" or any words that would dilute the statement. I enjoyed this. :)
ReplyDelete