Monday, March 17, 2008

Day and Night


The silver rings pass through each other,
the magician pulling them east and west
with a double hitch of his hands
to show they are locked fast, like lovers.

And then they are divorced,
circles no longer sharing the quotidian mystery
of day and night sliding into each other
as they trace infinity along the equator.

The magician returns home
after the sun has fallen over the rim.
He says nothing to his wife as they eat
on opposite sides of the round kitchen table.

Picture: Public Domain

38 comments:

virtual nexus said...

Lovely marriage of words and image.
Each line has its gem. The silver rings works brilliantly, as does the question mark at the end.

Lisa said...

I just love the image of the magician and his wife not speaking at opposite sides of the round kitchen table.

Do you write a poem or piece of flash every day?

Would love your input on my latest query to the world -- YOU were the primary driver for the question. :)

gautami tripathy said...

I was moving my silver rings one over the other. Then I get to read this. I kept loooking at my fingers!

Multi-layered verse, I like this a lot..

insanely inconclusive

WH said...

Julie, thanks, this is one of my favorites that I found from long ago and used for Sandy's One Single Impression poetry site.

I've got some photos I'm going to post later in the week. Let's see if they pass muster LOL.

Lisa, I added the last stanza when I originally wrote the poem since the poem seemed truncated. Of course, I'll zoom over for your latest query to the world!

guatami, so glad you came by and enjoyed. I will check out your latest poem today.

WH said...

Lisa, I forgot to answer your question--I post every other day, sometimes more frequently, but lately have been doing a lot of poems and flash fiction.

Tumblewords: said...

Indeed, a circle! Fine work!

WH said...

Thanks, tumblewords. I read your work at One Single Impression, but it won't let me leave a comment. It's a wonderful piece.

Charles Gramlich said...

The metaphorical link between the magician's rings and his marriage is very strong. I like the balance of it.

LoveRundle said...

That was beautiful. I think the line that really drew me in was "the magician pulling them east and west." You are fantastic with imagery.

Lana Gramlich said...

This is sad...perhaps because it's true for too many these days. <:(
Sorry for my recent absences--the mundania monster's got me firmly in its grip (but should be letting go soon.)

Casdok said...

I love this.

SandyCarlson said...

Terrific, Billy! The image of the magician's rings is dead on. Thanks.
Writing in Faith: Poems

Lane Mathias said...

I'm going to have to consult the thesaurus soon to find some other words to describe your work but what the hell - this is great with a myriad of images.

I also like way you've used 'lovers' vocab in contrast with the final silence between them.

Excellent.

sandra said...

the magician has the control...:) he cannot tell that to his wife...:)

Anonymous said...

This is an expanding unverse we see into. The darkness of the in-between is forever larger.

Jo said...

Beautiful, Billy, profound, lovely, so well balanced......

Raven said...

Beautifully done. I like the way the stanzas reflect each other. It's kind of like a short story in three stanzas. Very nice.

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

a prophet in his own land...

JP (mom) said...

Wonderful language and imagery ... I love the juxtaposition of the horizon and the magician. Peace, JP/deb

Janice Thomson said...

William this was fantastic - the imagery strong and the metaphor excellent. I read this many times as I enjoyed the phrasing so much.

WH said...

Charles, I think the last stanza gives the piece its balance. Was a fortunate afterthought.

Christina, you are too kind (but keep 'em coming anyway LOL).

Lana, you're right--husbands and wives can fall into this silence very easily. As for mundane work, it tends to ground me in some strange way. Not always bad -:)

Casdok, thanks -:)

Sandy, this is a reworking of an older poem that I thought would fit this weeks category at One Single Impression.

Lane, the "lovers" part of the poem just "happened," but I felt it gave the poem nice unity. And send me a Brit thesaurus so I can use all those neat idioms. When the Beatles became big in 64, btw, I truly wanted to be English--not making that up. Thanks for such wonderful comments.

Lluvia, I hadn't thought of that. Interesting interpretation.

Jason--exactly! By George you've got it :)

Jo, thanks. From a poet such as yourself, I always appreciate your responses!!!

Raven, yes, there really is a story imbedded in this piece. Thanks for the lovely comment.

Andrew, thanks so much. I like that description--a prophet in his own land--describes the magician well.

Deborah, thanks--the horizon/day night sort of ties the whole thing together thematically.

Janice, you are always so generous in your comments!!! The metaphor really worked in a couple of ways here. Thanks.

Tina Trivett said...

This is a beautiful piece of writing. Lovely way to start the day. :)

gautami tripathy said...

Thanks billy! It is a pleasure to link you and I subscribed your blog on my google reader too.

floots said...

you've managed to put passion into normality
(that's a neat trick) :)
great way of looking at it
thank you

WH said...

Tina, so glad you liked it!

Guatmai, thanks for the link and the subscription!

floots, much appreciated. I'm using simpler syntax lately--kind of a challenge to see if I can still get a lot of feeling into a poem.

SandyCarlson said...

Billy,
Just stopping by to enjoy the feedback that comes your way. Lovely conversations here!

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment on my little blog. I do appreciate it!

S.L. Corsua said...

I have a weakness for poems that utilize magic (or anything other-wordly) as metaphor or analogy or symbol or even setting. The one you've written here blew me away, especially its concrete first stanza (reminds me of the film "The Prestige"). Cheers.

Chris Eldin said...

I love how everything is represented as a circle here, like the fates are trying to connect them but they are being stubborn. Beautiful poem.

WH said...

soulless, thanx. I really loved The Prestige. A great flick!

Christine, thank you. Yeah, lots of circles LOL--the rings, the equator, the kitchen table--as you say, representing stubborness and polarity.

little wing writer said...

all in a day's work.. he opens the door yells hello honey im home.. it is a humble man who speaks so...simply beautiful...

Roswila said...

Wonder-filled! To be savored like a rich, many course dinner (at a round table, of course). :-)

Andree said...

I found so many levels here: Love the image of the eternal circle at the equator. I smiled at the thought of such a great magician returning home to an ordinary life. This is so rich. Perfect image, too.

Cassiopeia Rises said...

Well Billy I am, I just wanted to say how much I loved it.
Silver rings and magic of a sort. Wonderful.....
Great use of prompt.

-bd-Melanie( Lanie I am

WH said...

Mad Kane, glad you liked it--thanks for stopping by!

roswilla, you do make me blush!! Thanks for the loveley response.

andree, thanks very much! Yes, an ordinary magician--we don't think of them as such--who is as different from his wife as day and night. We're all a bit like that, I guess :)

Lanie, aw shuckins'--thank ya, ma'am -:)

spacedlaw said...

Great story well woven.

WH said...

Nathalie, many thanks. Hope you'll come again -:)

cargwaps said...

He says nothing. What is there to say eh? hmmm..:) great work billy.

WH said...

cargwaps, thanks. This is one of my favorites!