Saturday, February 12, 2011

the candid psalm of silence


the candid psalm of silence rises whitely burning
the icy wastes are lit with sunset's radiant yearning
white altars stretch beneath the changeless icy skies
a prayer, not suppliant, a psalm, not voiced, arises


italicized words by konstantin balmont from "in the white land"
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20 comments:

  1. UnknownFebruary 12, 2011 at 3:05 AM

    I love those shadows turning into curves....

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  2. Reya MellickerFebruary 12, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    But is there quickening underfoot? I'm feeling it here in DC for the first time ... spring rumbling around underground, beginning its push to the surface.

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  3. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    annie those grasses are in my garden. i leave them there for the winter because they break up the visual plane and then also for their shadows. steven

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  4. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    reya - i understand that the quickening will arrive in its first iteration sometime next week. at the moment a light snow is falling, it's around nine below with a wind that howls ever so slightly as it looks for ways in. steven

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  5. ellen abbottFebruary 12, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    beautiful photos steven.

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  6. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    thankyou very much ellen. steven

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  7. The Weaver of GrassFebruary 12, 2011 at 10:22 AM

    Once agai, beautiful shadows in the pristine snow, steven.

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  8. SuzFebruary 12, 2011 at 12:50 PM

    almost looks like bamboo on snow with shadows
    lovely words and stunning photos
    winter color they call the grasses left behind

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  9. agujaFebruary 12, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    You have illustrated these beautifully haunting words, perfectly. Magical.

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  10. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    weaver the shadows are so striking when you see them. it's hard to pass up on sharing them. steven

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  11. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    hi suz! "winter colour" - that's exactly what it is. i love the leaves that stay behind. their pale yellow is so soft and unlikely on a winter's day. steven

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  12. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    aguja thankyou very much. steven

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  13. UnknownFebruary 12, 2011 at 2:35 PM

    Images like this make a person absolutely hate cars and trucks and dirty road snow, don't they? The curving shadows are woven loosely into gothic church window shapes. Your snow looks like refined sugar. I love the broken sunlight on the reeds. Lovely and rhythmic. Was it a prayer for spring's arrival?

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  14. PaulineFebruary 12, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    you voiced this psalm beautifully!

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  15. JoFebruary 12, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    I imagine Balmont would choose exactly those exquisite images to accompany his words. Well done!

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  16. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 5:37 PM

    hello linda! i'm immersed in report card writing at the moment and so i'm surfacing or more properly diving deeper through the blog for a little bit. the snow has undergone daytime sunshine and very cold air - the effect is to dry it out, to take the edges off the six points and reduce the shape to a more compact structure. i'm drawn to the upper arches of church windows and supporting elements. that goes right back to my childhood. i know that i look for that in the reeds, grasses, and treeforms i see each day. thankyou for seeing my seeing linda. steven p.s. i'm not praying for spring yet but my body is ready for its softness that's for sure. steven

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  17. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 5:37 PM

    pauline - thankyou . . . songs sing themselves through the singer! steven

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  18. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    jo your comment makes me wonder at how it would be if when you draw a work of art or someone's writing into another context, they had a say in it. so balmont could leave a comment here!!! oh boy says i!!! steven

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  19. *February 12, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    You are a master at pairing words with images, Steven! Haunting, mesmerizing thoughts by Balmont. Thank you for them, they have me contemplating silence in a whole new way today...

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  20. stevenFebruary 12, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    thankyou terresa, if it's a photograph, the image always arrives first. then the words. if it's a painting, the words arrive first, then the painting. steven

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