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Wednesday, 8 February 2012


My thanks to Magpie Tales for the above prompt.

It's the prism that she's holding on to, not the flowers.
What good are flowers to the sainted dead?
A prism may have unsuspected powers.
Who knows what truths and myths
they might reflect
or analyse, the way they prise
the colours out of light?

Strange how the hands maintain their contact here.
The rest of her is lost to those like us,
but hands have ways of crossing frontiers,
of coming back from darkness, often drawn
by secrets that they know the prism holds.
How much more powerful is it
than a crystal ball?

21 comments:

Williamz JungleJuice said...

Wow... The creative links between the image and your imagination are like the ancient tales of a mage.........
I love the "butterfly effect" it has on me.

WJJ

Rachel Fenton said...

"The way they prise the colours out of light" - really like this image - so strong.

Science/prism and crystal ball - who knew they were so similar?!

Tabor said...

I saw this image and was wondering how you would approach such an exotic photograph.

Mary said...

You made sense from this photograph..and I do agree that truly hands CAN cross frontiers.

Kat Mortensen said...

As I am attending the funeral of a good friend this morning, this poem holds even more vitality for me.

"The rest of her is lost to those like us,"

Indeed.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Hands yes, reaching beyond, reaching and reaching. Beyond. Great metaphysical work Dave "Strange how the hands..." strange but true.
"Truth" must, at the bottom, be strange.

Ty-shaun Coles said...

Near bliss. Reading your poem, alone, would give that photograph without me having to glance at it once. Clean imagery.

Claudia said...

A prism may have unsuspected powers....for sure there's a tinge of myth and mystery in a prism..love how you catch the sparkles here..

Helen said...

Dave, we had to wait a bit for your interpretation ... well worth it.

Brian Miller said...

ah i would bet there is a bit of magic in there...perhaps to even bring a bit of color to the dead...

who said...

Now some of you other posts, make a lot more sense. You have such a unique voice Dave, it's like your poetry and prose are trying to sing to me.

The Weaver of Grass said...

It's a powerful picture Dave and your words go well with it.

Windsmoke. said...

Your words fit the image like a glove, very enjoyable indeed :-).

Helena said...

I'm a prism kinda gal. Love the boldness and lure it both projects!

JeannetteLS said...

The picture and your poem are now inextricably linked for me. They have their own conversation and you let us in. For me? This was perfect.

I hold prisms very dear. If I were to choose a symbol for any memoir I write, it would be the prism in the sunlight.

Read it aloud three times. Thank you for this, Dave.

Tom said...

i prefer ridiculous unwarranted assumptions to unanswerable questions

MianTariq said...

good poetry Dave!
keep it up--

Cloudia said...

that simply blows me away!
Clever to end by bettering
the mundane crystal ball.
You re-gift us the magic
we found in prisms as children!

"A prism may have unsuspected powers.
Who knows what truths and myths
they might reflect
or analyse, the way they prise
the colours out of light?"


May I use that sometime with credit/link, Dave?

I hope your erudition and quick pen rub off on me!

I remain Your Fan,
with Warm Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral

> < } } ( ° >

Dave King said...

Williamz
Thanks for this - very encouraging.

Rachel
Only writing this did the similarity strike me - something I must look into. Matbe I'll trade in my crystal ball for prism!

Tabor
Well I let out a little gasp when I first saw it.

Mary
Thanks - on both counts.

Kat
I do hope all went well for you and the others yesterday.

Tommaso
Yes, I agree, at least as far as saying that it usually is, but I do wonder why...

Ty-shaun
Hi and welcome to my blog. My gratefu thanks for your kind comment.

Claudia
Thank you.

Helen
Thanks - I'd no idea!

Brian
Fir sure, that's what I'd expect as well. Thanks for saying.

who
Welcome and thanks for stopping by to comment. I really appreciate your saying this. A voice of my own is the one thing I thought I didn't have!

The Weaver of Grass
Thank you. I have to agree with you re the image.

Windsmoke
Thank you. Good of you to say this.

Helena
Hi and welcome. Thanks for visiting and commenting. There just aren't too m any prism gals around, so good to meet one.

JeanetteLS
Yes, a good choice I think. A prism would make a great symbol for a memoir.

Tom
Well said.

tariq
I shall certainly try.

Cloudia
Wow! Now I'm blown away by your response. Thank you so much - and yes, of course you may use it. I would be honoured.

Tess Kincaid said...

I like the notion of hands crossing frontiers...nice write, Dave...

ds said...

" hands have ways of crossing frontiers" Yes, they do. Great stuff, sir. Thank you.