Popular Posts

Monday 16 May 2011

Life

In the beginning there was life
and nowhere was there not life,
but the life that was
was not what we would recognise as life,
we who see the structured forms that life inhabits
for the life was not organic, cellular, intelligent
or anything
          familiar to our eyes. The life
was formless, void
                    and seminal. The life
inhabited the whole of space,
and where there was no space
                              the life created it. Beyond
life's grip was nothing made that was made,
for the hand of life was everywhere:
in tree, in stone, in star, in firmament
and in the hidden matter of the universe
                                        which we have yet to find.
And molecules without life of their own
curled up into the shapes of life
and multiplied.          This life,
this force, this formlessness
made vessels for itself
and in creating form
          became
                    the form that limits us.

Almost forgotten, then,
and largely unbeknown to God or us,
the force lives on in what we know as death.
Where we have come to see the end of life
          life cycles back
          is void
          restored again.

9 comments:

anthonynorth said...

Love the way you take life into everything here. Excellent.

Jim Murdoch said...

I like this. The physicist in me wants to go, “Ah, but…” but I’ve told him to be quiet.

David Cranmer said...

"Life cycles back/is maybe void again." Sharp ending, Dave.

Corinna said...

"This life, this force, this formlessness made vessels for itself and in creating form became the form that limits us." Almost makes one look forward to being without limits again one day.

Gerry Snape said...

What thoughts! amazing! Thankyou Dave.

Windsmoke. said...

Very thought provoking and profound :-).

Carl said...

Oh this is one I can sink my teeth into and enjoy over and over again.

Anonymous said...

David, this has real depth. Reminds us all of our primordial existence. We get so caught up in the "world" that we forget we are only part of it. Great stuff. Amy

http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/the-pine-box-and-news-from-amy/

Dave King said...

anthonynorth
Appreciate that comment very much. Thanks.

Jim
The physicist in me must come from the same family as yours. I had the same difficulty. In the end I set my inner biologist on to him and left them arguing. Thanks for the vopte of confidence, though.

David
Thanks. I did wonder if I'd blunted it with the word "maybe". I'll maybe take it out!

Corinna
Yes, I think it does. Maybe that's the upside!

Gerry
And thank you - very much.

Windsmoke
Helpful comment. Thanks for it.

Carl
That's really great to hear. Lovely comment.

sharplittlecomment
Thanks for a terrific comment. I agree we do get caught up in the little bits we can see of the world.