Sunrise by Benkei

Caldwell August 06, 2023 at 03:54 450 views 19 comments
After this morning's blossom of light
behind a silver white and blue, a flight
of rosy petals float through,
sometimes reflect or dampen on
feathered cushions of cotton.

A touch of darkness ascends
(or falls, depending on one's mood)
and lends the silence lightly weight.
I await the first breath of the world,
so soft and timid as of late.

My surroundings alight in the sun
and greys and blues are no more
than a living memory, where reality
and phantasms are wilfully forged
into a singularity.

Now I step lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of flowering patina,
aware of an effervescence,
a slow wave called by creatures
in answer to its essence.

The shrouded destination matters not,
as this revelation comes when it must.
Perhaps in one, or sure-footed, steps
once the Sun is released
for illumination of my passage.

Comments (19)

javi2541997 August 06, 2023 at 06:36 #827474
After this morning's blossom of light
behind a silver white and blue, a flight
of rosy petals float through,
sometimes reflect or dampen on
feathered cushions of cotton.


Extremely beautiful. I love when a poet reflects the nature in this way. My feelings are weird because I feel nostalgia with this kind of verses. I mean, it is ephemeral but here is where the beauty is.

The rest of the poem is pretty too. Big kudos to the haijin. I loved it.
god must be atheist August 06, 2023 at 06:45 #827478
This poem has mood, has atmosphere, has style, and has an underlying sense of beauty and calm.

I felt good with myself while reading it.

Very, very nice. I like it a lot.
Noble Dust August 06, 2023 at 19:49 #827654
This is a nice poem. I have a thing against mid-line rhyming for some reason, so bits like this aren't really my thing:

Quoting Caldwell
and lends the silence lightly weight.
I await the first breath of the world,


I like these lines a lot though.

Quoting Caldwell
Now I step lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of flowering patina,




Caldwell August 06, 2023 at 20:16 #827661
I find it has a happy ending. Is this coming out of despair?
Beautiful poem.
Benkei August 07, 2023 at 10:09 #827866
Reply to Noble Dust :lol: It's filled with mid-line rhyming.

Quoting Caldwell
After this morning's blossom of light
behind a silver white and blue, a flight
of rosy petals float through,
sometimes reflect or dampen on
feathered cushions of cotton.

A touch of darkness ascends
(or falls, depending on one's mood)
and lends the silence lightly weight.
I await the first breath of the world,
so soft and timid as of late.

My surroundings alight in the sun
and greys and blues are no more
than a living memory, where reality
and phantasms are wilfully forged
into a singularity.

Now I step lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of flowering patina,
aware of an effervescence,
a slow wave called by creatures
in answer to its essence.

The shrouded destination matters not,
as this revelation comes when it must.
Perhaps in one, or sure-footed, steps
once the Sun is released
for illumination of my passage.


It doesn't bother me to be honest. What do you think is the reason mid-line rhyming doesn't work for you? Maybe from music you experience it as a syncopated emphasis messing with the rhythm you perceive?

Benkei August 07, 2023 at 16:34 #828001
User image
Amity August 08, 2023 at 19:37 #828400
Sunrise

Reading this, gives me a similar sensation to the poem Saying Nothing.
Both poems have had a strange but welcome effect on my mind.

A transference of soft, easy calm. Making one's way lightly.

Quoting Caldwell
The shrouded destination matters not,
as this revelation comes when it must.
Perhaps in one, or sure-footed, steps
once the Sun is released
for illumination of my passage.


Spiritual elements of peace and beauty. A welcome release.
Surgo in Lucem :sparkle:






Benkei August 09, 2023 at 11:57 #828630
Reply to Noble Dust Quoting Noble Dust
I like these lines a lot though.

Now I step lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of flowering patina,


I missed one and it was in the very line you quoted. :rofl: What say you? Any idea why this is a thing for you?
Noble Dust August 11, 2023 at 01:47 #829394
Quoting Benkei
What do you think is the reason mid-line rhyming doesn't work for you? Maybe from music you experience it as a syncopated emphasis messing with the rhythm you perceive?


Yeah it might be a musical thing. I kind of read poetry for the sound more than anything else. Not that I read that much poetry to begin with. When I write song lyrics I tend to write by sound more than meaning, although most songs do end up with a meaning, but I don't set out with any meaning in mind.
Jack Cummins August 18, 2023 at 15:21 #831587
It reads well and seems to capture a journey into awareness. It is extremely visual and I am wondering if the other senses, especially sound, are almost left out intentionally or unintentionally. In doing this, I feel that it is like a painted journey made from assembling a collage of words.
Amity August 18, 2023 at 21:15 #831649
Quoting Jack Cummins
It is extremely visual and I am wondering if the other senses, especially sound, are almost left out intentionally or unintentionally. In doing this, I feel that it is like a painted journey made from assembling a collage of words.


What a poetic and artistic way to express your thoughts; the sense of awareness.
I read it again. To see how the words were 'assembled' to give the impression of new-found peace.

Quoting Caldwell
a flight of rosy petals float through,


Visual, yes.
And yet, there is a gentle feeling or whispered hearing in the movement through the air.

Quoting Caldwell
A touch of darkness ascends


It's both visual and a touch. We can feel a change in the degree of light.
It can depend on how we look at life, literally or figuratively.

Quoting Caldwell
(or falls, depending on one's mood)


Quoting Caldwell
...lends the silence lightly weight.
I await the first breath of the world,
so soft and timid as of late.


This is beautiful. The lending is temporary, the silence is slowly filled, added to.
This sensitive poet has been waiting for this moment.

***

Quoting Caldwell
My surroundings alight in the sun
and greys and blues are no more
than a living memory, where reality
and phantasms are wilfully forged
into a singularity.


Sunrise. A lifting of the grey and blue mood.
The memory lives on amid a converging of the real and the imagined. They are all one.
The imagination is part of the body, soul and spirit.

***

Quoting Caldwell
Now I step lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of flowering patina,
aware of an effervescence,
a slow wave called by creatures
in answer to its essence.


I really don't know what this means but it sounds deep, even as the steps are light.

***

Quoting Caldwell
The shrouded destination matters not,
as this revelation comes when it must.
Perhaps in one, or sure-footed, steps
once the Sun is released
for illumination of my passage.


What will be, will be.
The way will be slowly revealed when the Sun/Son rises.
One step at a time until then.

180 Proof August 23, 2023 at 05:03 #832901
A memory of calm or calming memory. Seeing without looking ... except for these missteps into self-consciousness
[quote="Benkei";d14553"]I await the first breath of the world[/quote]
Now I step lightly through this landscape

which interrupt the reader's reverie. I would have never guessed this was you, Benkei. :smirk:
Benkei August 23, 2023 at 05:08 #832903
Reply to 180 Proof Ah nice, thanks, that's something I can work with! Already thinking of improvements.

And you didn't think it was me because it's actually nice and appreciative of life. :razz:
180 Proof August 23, 2023 at 05:18 #832907
Yeah, something like that ...
Amity August 23, 2023 at 17:57 #833083
Quoting Benkei
And you didn't think it was me because it's actually nice and appreciative of life


And to think I had you down as the author of 'Nailing a Philosopher'!
I always knew you had a sensitive side...
Exceptional poem. Congratulations!
Vera Mont August 24, 2023 at 02:42 #833200
I think I promised...

Quoting Caldwell
After this morning's blossom of light
behind a silver white and blue, a flight
of rosy petals float through,

Lovely image; I find no fault with rhyming, though I would prefer it be consistent.

sometimes reflect or dampen on
feathered cushions of cotton.

Say what?

A touch of darkness ascends
(or falls, depending on one's mood)

Wonderful!
and lends the silence lightly weight.

You don't get to modify a noun with an adverb, even if it were not contradictory. Perhaps 'a gentle weight'?
I await the first breath of the world,
so soft and timid as of late.

I like this very much.

My surroundings alight in the sun

Surroundings do not land. Anyway, it's not a very poetic expression and there are too many repetitions of 'light', so maybe rethink the line.
and greys and blues are no more
than a living memory, where reality
and phantasms are wilfully forged
into a singularity.

This would be great, except for the word 'willfully'. If a conscious agency is required, and I'm not sure it is, perhaps 'artfully' would be better. Could maybe lose the firs 'and'.

Now I step lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of flowering patina,

Cherry or apple trees would be more in keeping with the rosy petals, as patina doesn't bloom.
aware of an effervescence,
a slow wave called by creatures
in answer to its essence.

I have a slight problem with 'creatures'. Up until that line, the feeling was of serene solitude. The previously unsensed creatures feel somehow intrusive.
The shrouded destination matters not,
as this revelation comes when it must.

I'd take out 'as this'.
Perhaps in one, or sure-footed, steps
once the Sun is released
for illumination of my passage.

These last lines sound awkward and I don't think they're necessary[/quote]

I do like it, but for the odd jarring word. When I first read it, what suddenly floated up from the depth of memory was a Paul Simon song https://www.paulsimon.com/song/emily-whenever-i-may-find-her/ (That's a compliment btw)
Benkei May 13, 2024 at 07:23 #903599
Reply to Vera Mont Reply to 180 Proof I used your feedback to rewrite this. Do you think this is better? I'm unsure because it's a pretty "rational" rewriting instead of free creativity.

After this morning's blossom of light
behind a silver white and blue, a flight
of rosy petals float through,
sometimes alight or dim upon
clouds like feathered cotton.

A touch of darkness ascends
(or falls, depending on one's mood)
and weighs upon the silence.
A hesitant breath of the world,
so soft and timid as of late.

Colour bleeds like a whispering melody  
and greys and blues are no more
than a living memory, where reality
and phantasms meld seamlessly
into a singularity.

Stepping lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of blended patina,
aware of an effervescence,
called by hidden Luna,
in answer to her essence.

The shrouded destination matters not,
as revelation comes when it must.
Vera Mont May 14, 2024 at 18:08 #903959
Sorry I missed this yeasterday. There is nothing wrong with using reason and craft to perfect a creative effort.
How about a little nitpickery?

Quoting Benkei
After this morning's blossom of light
behind a silver white and blue, a flight
of rosy petals float[ed] through,
sometimes alight or dim upon
clouds like feathered cotton.

I like this very much. I might suggest an extra syllable in the third line

A touch of darkness ascends
(or falls, depending on one's mood)
and weighs upon the silence.
A hesitant breath of the world,
so soft and timid as of late.

What happened to the rhyme scheme? I like the first four lines, but the last doesn't seem quite to fit.

Colour bleeds like a whispering melody
and greys and blues are no more
than a living memory, where reality
and phantasms meld seamlessly
into a singularity.

Whispering doesn't quite work for the meter or with 'bleeding'. How be: a 'wounded melody'?
Otherwise, great.

Stepping lightly through this landscape,
along an avenue of blended patina,
aware of an effervescence,
called by hidden Luna,
in answer to her essence.

The shrouded destination matters not,
as revelation comes when it must.


Slight confusion of who's who. 'I step lightly' could clarify it. Similarly with the last line. The meter seems to falter a little bit as the lines become shorter. But it picks up momentum with the closing almost-couplet.


Benkei May 29, 2024 at 09:36 #907267
Reply to Vera Mont Thanks. Musing again. :lol: