standing by the side
of the sea
i watch
seven geese
silently flying
east to west
stagger stitched
like black thread
on the mottled grey cloth
of a snow cloud sky.
i stand and watch them.
seven
my favourite number.
and i know a door has opened.
but to what?
three swans glide across
the winter bay
hovering
on the suddenly stilled water
and the air has that
sudden weight
that accompanies
the closing of heavy curtains
and i know
the same door
has closed.
35 comments:
Beautiful closing of the day. That last photo is magnificent, Steven. Gorgeous post, as always, my friend.
You have an remarkable intuitive feel for what's below the surface of the natural world, sensitive to its messages and meanings. I love the photos, both of them. Are they of Lake Ontario? The sunlight coming through the clouds in the second photo appear to be an opening to me.
7...how appropriate...as in the 7th Chakra...the Beyond.
The door opening and closing.....what do we lose or what do we not gain when we stand silent to that portal?? Surely the geese and swans know....
Beautiful poem, Steven!
'Stagger stitched', Steven. What wonderful words.
In my mind's eye I see the geese fly. I see the sea and smell the salty foam.
East to west, Steven and from me to you, south to north or thereabouts.
It must have something to do with the times we each blog, but I often find myself the first to comment on your posts and then over the next day all the other geese fly in.
Thanks.
I love the image of birds against the sky "stagger stitched/like black thread." Beautiful.
willow thankyou. steven
hello dan. i walked to the shore and the geese flew from left to right - east to west - i was going to photograph them but i chose to watch instead. in addition to their number i was struck by their silence. geese talk their way across the sky. these seven were silent. for me that's significant. when i went to leave the shore i heard the voice in my head that says, "stop, or go back or turn around" and so i listened and i thought at first it was a trick of the eyes. the water temperature os freezing, the air temeperature is ten below zero, there shouldn't be swans. but there they were. i saw that as significant. three swans. the unpacking of the moment? well it's still taking place. thanks for your generous comment dan. steven
see jenny i knew one of my coolsmart friends would have information! steven
rick i believe that they do know. there was a space - palpable - that opened. it happens in different places in my experiencing including my classroom in the middle of a lesson - an opening appears and we can look inside or watch or move on. that's what this was like. steven
elisabeth thankyou. the words for this came on my walk home from the lake. more and more the photographs tell the story and the words tumble into my head and then through my two pointer fingers onto my macbook. it's nice to be more-or-less out of the way of the creation of these posts! elisabeth - you're about what fourteen hours ahead of me? thanks for your thoughtful comments here. steven
hello oldpoetsoul, thankyou for this kind comment. i love words - especially what they can give to people as an opening to the deeper mapping of our existence. have a peaceful day. steven
Wonderful word imagery. One must be quick when those doors open...
But its the illuminated spaces between the opening and the closing of the door that will stay with you, Steven.
Really a nice post and the photos are inspiring in and of themselves.
I always enjoy a visit to your blog but I will be glad when it stops snowing. The snow effect is making a weird flashing effect at the bottom of the page!
That blue water in the last picture - fabulous!
This is the third or fourth time I've come back to read this today. I love that 7 open a door, and that 3 close it. In my mind, that's quite apt really. Even without the lovely pictures(the last is my favourite), that was beautiful imagery. Thanks for that.
very nice steven, just very nice.
Great pics and poem. You are very talented. and btw, 7 is my favorite number too!....
:) The Bach
totally beautiful words steven....we have geese flying by...making a song and dance on the lake with elegant swans looking down their beaks at them as if they are the lowest of the low......flying swans are my most favourite thing..they stir some deep emotion..the suns rays on the horizon in the last photo are stunning....
Lose the "t" and you would be
7...curious to know - what was your first word?
when I was young the number seven was "Rebecca", that's how I did math...couldn't relate to mumbers.
"mumbers" see i can't even say the word correctly...Your doorways- love to go through them.
pauline - it's not always announced either. sometimes you realize you're inside a special magical moment after it has started or even after it has ended. have a peaceful day. steven
hey jinksy - yes exactly. the space inside that moment is what stays. being available to the moment is also so important. then it holds its value. steven
abe thankyou. i wish i had captured an image of the seven geese also but that wans't part of this experience for me. have a lovely day. steven
hi acornmoon, the snow falling has that effect on the horizontal scroll bar on my computer also. i ignore it!!! i am sorry it bothers you. steven
hi golden west - there were snow clouds in the air and they were heavy and lowering slowly. that's where the dpeth of greeny-blue came from. i am glad you liked it!!! steven
hi kaotic - thanks for this generous comment! i really wish i could articulate the experince of a moment like this more clearly but i am glad that it resonated with you. have a peaceful day. steven
hi ellen - thankyou very much i am glad that you enjoyed your visit here. steven
hey bach - thankyou very much. can you recall the moment when you first realized you even had a "favourite number". i can!!! steven
kay - when you mentioned flying swans i realized that i have never seen a swan fly. how strange. thanks for your generous comment. steven
linda sue - "lose the t". yep - that's one of my obviously not so secret inner knowings!!! i love the doorways i am given. they're like gifts. unconditional gifts. have a peaceful day. steven
linda sue - perhaps mumbers are numbers that have words in their place like rebecca for seven!! steven
steven, let me assure you that you articulated the moment perfectly, both with your words and photographs. The water in the last photo is a glorious deep blue. I love that geese have decided to stay (well, for now anyway) in the field on the way to the lake. They are such handsome birds. I captured the moment when they flew yesterday.
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