Thursday, February 16, 2012

Night Light

Owl Flame


Night Light


Luminous the globe
around my hope, a diamond
phosphorescent fish
that undulantly beams along
darkest ocean floor,
gleaming
or in meadowed night
a child’s eye
swimmy deer gaze
peering through the heart’s glass lantern
stuttering, fluttering, dancing,
burning the fitful wick
that lights my way to you,
whoever wherever
in this dark place
you are.



March 1990

55 eyeballs gleaming in the dark   for the G-Man


Note: This was one of the last dozen or so poems I wrote before stopping for ten years. I've revised it today a bit here and there, and cut a few words to get it to exactly 55. 




Image: Owl Flame, by Darkr, on flick'r
Shared under a Creative Commons 2.0 Generic License
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24 comments:

  1. Brian MillerFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:34 AM

    smiles...i like that the heart is a lantern leading the way...lots of questions left open in the end of this one too with who ever and wherever you are...so if this was so long ago, did you find them?

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  2. FireblossomFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:54 AM

    I love the "swimmy deer gaze/ peering through the heart's glass lantern". I think I can detect a somewhat younger Witch here, one who still wanted to believe in the benevolence of the night light. I am amazed that we both put down our pens for years on end. Now, I get antsy and sour if I go three days without a new poem, and I think you are the same way.

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  3. BrendanFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:21 PM

    Amen, sistah ... this reminds me of those sea-bottom creatures who "fish" with a lucent appendage suspended above their otherwise dark selves ,,, the poem allows an ocular magnitude otherwise not available to us. Except here the prey is home, or the heart .. Fine 55. Glad the appendage was still working when you fished it back out of the drink. - Brendan

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    Replies
    1. hedgewitchFebruary 16, 2012 at 10:10 PM

      This anglerfish thing is getting as bad as the crickets. Thanks for reading, B.

      Delete
  4. dsFebruary 16, 2012 at 1:45 PM

    Yes, I was struck by "swimmy deer gaze" too. And that it peers through the heart's lantern...burning its fitful wick, so those deep swimming fish came immediately to mind. I'm glad that you kept the hope alive at the end, without answering the questions.

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  5. UnknownFebruary 16, 2012 at 2:29 PM

    Nice. Wow, the idea of the fish was a great touch for me, as I was thinking eels when the page opened up and I saw the image. The pic is awesome, I used to want one of those globes that shoot out the electricity, but settled for a lava lamp instead. Electric piece Hedge. Thanks

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  6. G-ManFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:00 PM

    Light My Fire Ms. Hedge.
    Trimmed down to PERFECT proportions.
    Loved your Bright 55 My Friend
    Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End

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  7. The Thirteenth CrossingFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    Sounds hopeful. Quite nice.

    55 Flash Fiction Friday: Set Fire

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  8. Steve IsaakFebruary 16, 2012 at 7:52 PM

    Descriptive, like the end-line finish.

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  9. ScarletFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    I like the heart’s glass lantern ~

    Have a good day ~

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  10. TALONFebruary 16, 2012 at 8:58 PM

    It isn't fun feeling alone in the dark. I'm glad you did come back to writing poetry, hedgewitch. Isn't it a bit surreal to read old writings? Sometimes we don't recognize who we were then...

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  11. TeresaFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:14 PM

    Swimmy deer gaze is a wonderful phrase. I agree that this leave a lot of questions.

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  12. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2012 at 9:46 PM

    Lovely, mystical, interesting, detailed, dark, light, swimmy, dear. And 55 WORDS! Terrific. K.

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  13. Matt DFebruary 16, 2012 at 11:20 PM

    The graphic at the beginning is really cool. Then you really catch some really ethereal images in the poem ... and finish it with a romantic twist. Cool! I liked this!

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  14. RuthFebruary 17, 2012 at 4:48 AM

    Well you know I love that meadowed night. And how brilliant: the heart's glass lantern. Wonderful words and metaphors here, hedge.

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  15. izzyFebruary 17, 2012 at 8:29 AM

    55 eyeballs? I think once I witnessed those electrical orbs
    that run fences out west- very spooky! Love your 55.

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  16. JANUFebruary 17, 2012 at 10:53 AM

    Beautiful light.

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  17. Other MaryFebruary 17, 2012 at 12:21 PM

    Oh, this rocks. You are one of the few poets who can use the word 'heart' without making me wince when I read!

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    Replies
    1. hedgewitchFebruary 17, 2012 at 2:54 PM

      That's because I'm usually serving it carved on a plate, maybe? ;-)

      Delete
  18. Doctor FTSEFebruary 17, 2012 at 1:36 PM

    55 well used words.

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  19. moondustwriterFebruary 17, 2012 at 2:27 PM

    Love the contrast of dark and light
    I wish I had kept track of my earlier work
    Glad you did

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  20. author.nara.maloneFebruary 17, 2012 at 6:41 PM

    So neautiful. "Luminous the globe around my hope" loved that

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  21. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2012 at 2:00 AM

    "Luminous the globe
    around my hope"

    i LOVE that image! how could you possible lose hope if you carry it in a luminous globe?

    an amazing 55, Joy, no matter when you wrote it!
    ♥

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  22. Jannie FunsterFebruary 19, 2012 at 9:39 AM

    Your hope is big, brash and beautifully illiminated in this, Joy!

    xox

    ReplyDelete

"We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, out of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry." ~William Butler Yeats

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