The Notes He Wrote
I often create my posts by rummaging through my many photographs until I find one that I really am moved by, and then I let the creative side of my brain consider what verbal companion (usually a poem or reflection, sometimes both) would create a nice synthesis. In this case, I was delighted to see this long-ago photo and wanted to combine it with this long-ago poem (and a title and song from a long-ago rock group...).
The Notes He Wrote
He wrote bits of poetry or
essays or grocery lists or ideas
for his first book or thoughts
about the decline of
democracy or reminders of
movies he definitely would watch
someday. The good ideas mixing with
tomorrow’s errands, his dental
appointment swimming through
two weeks of grocery lists, a decent
poem hibernating beneath
last year’s receipts – all making
their way upstream to the
center of his desk again to
breed new lists and then
die in the shallows.
As I reflected on this poem, I realize that it embodies my sometimes wry, sometimes playful way with words. It also seems to be an example of how most of us live - all kinds of daily activities mixed with deeper aspects of our inner life.
What moved me about this photograph is the beautiful and mysterious light coming through the stained glass window. It creates a sense of wonder and mystery for me, as if we're in a heavenly realm. Where is it taking us to? What light is awakened in us when we encounter light and color like this? The blend of light, color, and shadow gives me the sense of entering a place of light and exaltation, a kind of worldly heaven.
I imagine that many of you carry iPhones or other similar phones and they often have quite good cameras as well. This allows you to not only capture moments and scenes in your life, but to become more aware of the light, shadows, and colors of your daily life as well. I invite you to think of yourself a photographer in the sense of learning to see and share the scenes, events, light, shapes, etc. as well as documenting important places and moments in your life. You might look through some of the other posts on my website to get ideas about how to do this.
...............
Interestingly, as I wrote this poem and contemplated the photograph, the Led Zeppelin song "Stairway to Heaven" came to mind - mostly because of its title. Now that I've reminded myself of it, this song has been playing through my mind off and on, even though I was only 14 when the song began playing on the radio. Now that I've read and thought about the lyrics, I especially liked the lines,
"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder."
Here's the link for the song if you're interested if you're interested in listening to it:
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May queen
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
And it makes me wonder
Ohh, whoa
Your head is humming, and it won't go, in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one, and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she's buying a stairway to Heaven