The First Time–dVerse Poetic

 

The First Time

Photo: Wikipedia
Labeled for Non-Commercial Reuse

The first time that I witnessed birth,
saw the crowning of the head,
that shock of thick black hair,
heard the melded cries of mother
and her son, the pain and ecstasy
in resounding dissonance,
the joy and fear and victory
of shattered boundaries—
that first time I beheld the
mystery of newborn life
I shuddered in the face of Awe.

The first time that I prayed in silence
without words or thoughts and stood
like Moses by the burning bush
that would not be destroyed and
offered (to the One who is and was
and will be) all that I have been and
am and shall become without limit
that first time I embraced
the mystery of the divine
I shuddered in the face of God.

The first time that I tasted love,
sought urgently to touch and hold,
looked into eyes that knew
my secret sacred spaces,
longed to please before receiving
pleasure, lost track of time, luxuriated
in the scent of passion,
that first time I received the mystery
of you, of all we could become,
I shuddered in the face of Bliss.

The first time I attended death
and held an old man’s icy hand and
looked into his eyes that saw beyond
me, wiped a brow expressing
nuances of sorrow and of joy,
the scope of everything we can imagine,
that first time I received a dying breath
and closed those eyes
I shuddered in the face of the Unknown.

I apologize for re-posting a poem that has been around before, written originally in 2010, but it fits Kelly’s prompt for dVerse Poetics, right down to the title, and I confess it is one of my favorites, because of its significance in my own life. Those of you who’ve been around, please don’t feel compelled to comment–but there are so many newbies at dVerse, I wanted to offer it again.

Aleph

Thou art the freshness of a new beginning,
the first breath of a flawless day.

Photo: wunderground.com

This morning on the porch
I breath in clear, sub-zero air,
soak in the early sun reflecting bronze
upon mountain snow.

A sip of hot coffee reminds me
that warmth is possible.
Witnessing the birth of today,
replete with promise,

I sigh in wonder at the gifts of grace
that will unfold between the blanketing
of dawn and dusk. Will plans be shattered
only to birth new and better gifts,

moments of pain, of joy?
Will the world heave a sigh,
continue to destroy her beauty,
succumb to the allure of greed

and hatred? Or will, perhaps,
a child be born within us—
a child to touch and heal?
That power lies within.

Today, another day to breathe,
to re-create, and to await
the fullness of the Gift. I turn
and enter, once again, incarnate.

In Judaism, each letter of the Aleph Beit (Alphabet) holds the power to create. Aleph, the first letter, is not sounded. It is, rather, a sigh, the first breath uttered before a word.

The brief quote at the beginning of this poem is a mantra I use from time to time. I paraphrased it from reading I did about the Aleph.

I’m linking this to Gay’s prompt for dVerse Meeting the Bar, where the prompt is to write a Birthday Poem. Stop on over and enjoy more on the subject.

The First Time

Image via Wikipedia

The First Time

The first time that I witnessed birth,
saw the crowning of the head,
that shock of thick black hair,
heard the melded cries of mother
and her son, the pain and ecstasy
in resounding dissonance,
the joy and fear and victory
of shattered boundaries—
that first time I beheld the
mystery of newborn life
I shuddered in the face of Awe.

The first time that I prayed in silence
without words or thoughts and stood
like Moses by the burning bush
that would not be destroyed and
offered (to the One who is and was
and will be) all that I have been and
am and shall become without limit
that first time I embraced
the mystery of the divine
I shuddered in the face of God.

The first time that I tasted love,
sought urgently to touch and hold,
looked into eyes that knew
my secret sacred spaces,
longed to please before receiving
pleasure, lost track of time, luxuriated
in the scent of passion,
that first time I received the mystery
of you, of all we could become,
I shuddered in the face of Bliss.

The first time I attended death
and held an old man’s icy hand and
looked into his eyes that saw beyond
me, wiped a brow expressing
nuances of sorrow and of joy,
the scope of everything we can imagine,
that first time I received a dying breath
and closed those eyes
I shuddered in the face of the Unknown.

The last time that I said hello, goodbye
I shuddered in the face of Wonder.

Come one, come all. The Pub is open for poetry and cheer at dVerse Open Link Night. Come by, bring a poem, warm up with some hot brandy and good friendship and share your work.

Monday Morning Writing Prompt–Choose Words and See What Emerges

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s a fun and somewhat surprising challenge. Grab a hold of your dictionary and thumb through it. Choose between 10-30 words (verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs) that appeal to you, catch your fancy. Now, construct a poem using only those words. You may, however add the garnishments of articles, conjunctions etc. When you’ve finished, see if you’re not astonished to find a loosely-structured theme. It will probably be one of your more obscure poems but wait and see. Your subconscious may be hard at work in your word choices. I’ve done this a few times and it’s a great way of breaking out of a block, even if it doesn’t turn out to be one of your best poems. Here’s mine:

Afterbirth

Crimson sucklings thirst
for silken flesh.

Doves arc into the sky
unfolding hues
that dangle quiet flames.

Anoint her body,
dormant like a
wooden rocking horse,
alone in liquid,
aching for shelter.

Erase the anguish
of crowning.

Balance loss.

I’m feeling a bit dull myself today so I think I’ll work on another one. If you do this and post it, I would love for you to send me the link in comments.