Palinode (salt, mask, descent)
Tracing the map to the swaying places, she rises
through the interior world, garnering peace by
syllable. Water, clouds and sand mark her ascent.
The expectation is return, renewal. My friend did not
awaken this morning, and tonight I praise her
passage with drink and song. Matter into spirit,
mountain into sky, redemption, freedom. We bathe in
light, reclaiming the liminal. Our tears evaporate,
leaving salt and untrod paths in our wake.
The paths in our wake delimit the future, but
everything falls. Which do we desire more, the grasp
or its release? That instant preceding fear defines a
yearning particular to its course, a cycle of regression
and progress: ancestors descend into human or
animal form, die, depart to the heavens, and return
anew. Distilled power, a bridge to the spirits, the
mask unshutters and conceals the conscious mind.
Opening my eyes, I release the sun.
I release the sun and observe the results. From sky
to soil, from above to below, to solidity. Spirit
acquires matter, disperses and regroups. Rain and
alluvion, flooded homes, the dark night of childish
laughter. Each to her own path, each to an end. Muting
the string, I touch the harmonic into the world, linking
civility to proportion, lowering dissonance. Everything
falls. Everything. From curve to angle, we resist and
rejoice. In this design parabola, she descends.
“Palinode (salt, mask, descent)” was first published in Otoliths in slightly different form.
I needed these words today. Beautiful.
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Thank you, Leslie.
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Reblogged this on Praying for Eyebrowz and commented:
I’m sharing the beautiful words of Robert Okaji this morning. Enjoy. robertokaji.com
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Thank you for reblogging, Leslie. Much appreciated!
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Such a beautiful poem. It came at a time I really needed it.
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Which makes me incredibly happy.
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Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing it.
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So pleased you thought so. Thank you.
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The circle of life and death….beautiful words:)
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Thank you, PK.
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Charming
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Thank you, Valentine.
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Beautiful! Especially “Each to her own path, each to an end.” & “Everything falls. Everything. From curve to angle, we resist and rejoice.” That resisting and rejoicing paradox is profound.
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Thank you, Jazz. I wrote about a dozen of these, and this one poured out rather quickly, unlike the rest.
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wonderful poem especially the concluding ones. God bless you .
if you find time gothrough my blogs ,poetry would love to have your valuable comments especially on my poems
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Thanks very much.
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you are welcome sir.
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Gorgeous work! ❤
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Much appreciated, Hanne. Thank you.
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Love the balance of the push and pull here — the grasp and release; resist and rejoice. Each beautiful because of the other.
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Thanks, Sabrina. As I mentioned above, this one just poured out…
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Beautiful. Well written
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You are very kind. Thank you.
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Beautiful, Bob. You have such a wonderful ear; the repetition of “everything,” the one word alone.
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Thank you, Cate. The solo “everything” just sounded right.
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Exactly — that perfect ear of yours.
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🙂
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These circles are much on my mind. Beautiful. (K)
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They have been with me, too, lately.
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Reading this made me think of old Germanic poetry during the Middle Ages.
Good work man!
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Thanks very much!
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Oh, that is beautiful!
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Thank you, Betty!
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POWERFUL
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Your comments are always appreciated. Thank you!
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Like Plato in verse, elegant and metaphysical. I’m curious about “palinode”–is that a reference to formal aspects? To me it means “retraction,” as when Stesichorus took back what he formerly said about Helen: No, you never went to Troy.
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I’m using the term rather loosely, but yes, in terms of retraction or refutation. What exactly is being retracted is, of course, unclear. 🙃
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Indeed. Now I get it.
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PROFOUND AND INTRIGUING, BOB. YOUR WORK NEVER CEASES
TO AMAZE ME.
RON
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Thank you, Obi-Ron. I hope this finds you well.
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This exhibits primal energy.
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Thanks, Jay. It does dip into the archetypal…
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One of your best. It filled me with a strange sense of hope. Well done.
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Thanks very much, Mike.
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i appreciated reading it. such a good flow…
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I’m so pleased you found it so. Thank you.
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