Saturday, January 10, 2015
The Light Within the Light
The Light Within the Light
Just when you're sure
that all shadows are black
you notice the shadow of the oak on snow
is blue.
And the shadow of your hand
holding this pencil
writing on this page
is also blue.
Under the table beside the couch --
black.
Behind the pillows --
black.
What magic of light and white
turn black to blue?
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2015
The title of this poem comes from the title of a book I got for Christmas -- The Light Within the Light: Portraits of Donald Hall, Richard Wilbur, Maxine Kumin, & Stanley Kunitz by Jeanne Braham with engravings by Barry Moser
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This one really struck me, Mary Lee. I loved the way the opening "Just when you're sure" gave me that second-thought feeling, like maybe wonder might sometimes (often?) be found in the things we think we know most completely...So the ending, too, was terrific, "light and white" then black and blue, a pairing that always makes my mind go to Louie Armstrong's "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?" And, for me, that adds yet another layer of richness.
ReplyDeleteThank you.