Blackbody
1
It is a house. A small house.
A small dark house perched on the edge of town
near the river.
The river is constant.
A man enters the house, closes the door behind him.
Nothing emerges. We witness this daily.
No one emerges.
The house is dark.
A man enters.
The river is constant.
2
A pebble pierces the water’s surface.
I awaken to imperfection.
A blackbody allows all incident radiation to pass into it,
absorbing all, reflecting none.
The tensile strength of water decreases as temperature rises.
Hakuin said if you doubt fully, you will awaken fully.
Before sunrise I unshutter the window.
Angle of reflection, angle of incidence.
My doubts reinforced with coffee, I pause.
Perfect blackbodies do not exist in nature.
Opaque box with a hole.
3
There is a house. A small house.
A small dark house perched on the edge of town
near the river.
Nothing emerges.
A man enters.
The river is constant.
Blackbody was first published on Aubade Rising in May, 2014.
O at the Edges 
This is almost lyrical. I can imagine it as a quiet song. Lovely.
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Thanks, Meg. Odd, but quiet!
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Oh my! This is so evocative. I’m a rabid fan of classic ghosts stories and this poem immediately triggered a hundred possibilities.Of all the contagious things in the world creativity is the best. Thank you.
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I’m so pleased you find it evocative. I found it interesting to try to meld a scientific concept with the everyday.
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Beautiful. It’s like reading a lyrical story and I could hear myself humming while reading.
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Thank you. Hmm. I’m not certain I could hum that tune. 🙂
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🙂 🙂
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Science and poetry together. The Gravities dance and tell each other stories… … 68 stars out of 5 for this poem alone!
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The gravitational forces would adjust and reduce the score drastically.
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I imagine an alternate universe.
Or two.
Or three.
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At least!
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Hauntingly beautiful, Bob.
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Thank you, Cate.
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So skilfully executed and the mix of science and creative writing meld magnificently….Atmospheric and ethereal. This has got to be one of my favourites…one that I could read over and over and never ever find the bottom… Glad you reposted. 🌚🌝
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Thanks, Krys. This marked a turn in style for me when I first drafted the poem nearly four years ago. I’m much more comfortable with blending disparate entities these days.
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That is beautifully evident.
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Enchantingly beautiful.
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Thanks very much.
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Robert, I read this aloud. It has me coming back for more
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I’m so pleased it works for you, Talia.
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Awesome! I love this.
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Thank you!
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the emphasis on the man entering, reveals for me the underlying feminine. beautiful educing.
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Thanks very much.
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Beautiful, haunting, and intriguing. I imagine it as the prologue of a story, and I want to know the rest.
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You could write the rest!
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This would be an incredible writing prompt. What you could get from this…Ghost story? Psychological study? Alternate universe? Surreal literary work? Thriller about smuggling? Metaphysical treatise? Comedy? Tragedy? There are nearly endless possibilities and impossibilities in this one.
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I like it. Thank you for posting.
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Thank you for reading and commenting.
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You had me hooked after the first line, I had to click into the post to read the rest – love it.
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I’m pleased the line enticed you. Thanks!
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Totally gripped by that opening. Thank you.
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So happy to hear it grabbed you. Thanks.
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Hi Robert,
I really like the photo and the poem. Very striking, with some palpable images, nice rhythm and recurring theme throughout.
Thank you for being such a good reader and Liker on my blog
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Thanks, Elaine. Your blog is a treat.
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Thank you, Robert. :~)
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It’s rare for me to want to re-read a poem immediately, that I didn’t quite get; but I had to do it again and slow it down. I’ll be coming back to this one a few more times.
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Thanks for returning to it, Scott. I’m so pleased that it. had something to draw you back.
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We find the crooked tooth enticing, don’t we?
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Most definitely, Nazir.
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“If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully”. I know you quoted someone here but still……..<3 this.
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Hakuin had much to say, but he didn’t require many words.
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I like people who are a combination of these two things. I will be looking him up to see what else he had to say.
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I believe someone said “Give me science and poetry, or give me death.” Well, maybe not. But in case no one ever said it, they should have.
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You just did!
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