A scarlet shadow

 Iced fingers pierce my skin through my sweater, as a cold blanket drapes the earth and sea.  This fog brushes my face and halts my heart.  I wander weakly to my room and rest on the floor.

     In tranquil serenity I cease to stir. I close my eyes...

 

Placid visions etched on canvas:

winded fire;

perpetual disarray.

The sky; a stroke of amber and turquoise.

The sea; pools of jade and jasper.

The sweet smell of rose and summer.

 

     Light brushed alabaster-feather clouds seem to dance in the tranquil sky. Against the backdrop of earth and heaven her figure rests.  All sound becomes silence.

     Her hair, with strokes of ebony and auburn, cascades down her neck and across her soft shoulders. Her eyes are shaded olive with a single tear, and on her cheeks, lightly brushed ruddy tones.

     I see her here in eternal serenity; at distance from fear or pain.  At a distance, it seems, from life.

     Her crimson lips rise in delight at the vision her eyes behold; a golden glow of shifting stillness. The sun’s brilliance seems immortal, but beyond her vision a darkness comes.

 

Dark streaks of ink rape the sky of light.

Her yet smiling eyes cannot behold the sudden sight.

It becomes a challenge, a test of the will;

can you be content just standing still?

 

     In the darkness there seems to stand a scarlet shadow; the wandering specter of the sea.  At this a crack of thunder peals, and the sea swallows the night. 

 

     I open my eyes...

Author's Note

From chapter six of "An owl on the moon”… June

Reviews

[Mrudula Rani]

"Can you be content just standing stil? ... When gratitude fills my heart, when beauty of your poetry overwhelms my senses, I can't help but stand still!
You paint spectacular images with your wonderful words, and I feel my words are limited in expressing my appreciation of your poetry.
Oi querido amigo, tudo bem? suas palavras lindas dará sempre uma sensação boa, adoro ler suas poesias.
Espero que tudo está ótimo com você. Tenha uma grande semana repleta de muitas felicidades. Uma grande abraço.

[An owl on the moon]

It gives me such joy when you read my words, to sense how you understand all their colors. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and time with me. I hope you are doing so well in this new week. Eu estou indo muito bem. Como você está, amiga preciosa? Estou tão feliz que você compartilhe sua poesia comigo. Enviando-lhe esses desejos para a vida e dar-lhe asas para a sua semana. E um milhão de abraços!

[Mrudula Rani]

Você sempre diz a coisas mais lindas, adoro falar com você. Uma abraço grande.

[An owl on the moon]

Sua presença é uma doce alegria na minha vida, minha querido poeta.

[Mrudula Rani]

Obrigada . Você é uma amor.

[Jade]

I don't think none of us is really all that content, all of us are always wanting more.
I like this, this is captivating. Nicely written and presented.

[An owl on the moon]

True.. too often. It is hard in this world to find contentment. Let yours rise.

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'A scarlet shadow'
An owl on the moon,
You have given voice and color to inner loveliness and a moment of beauty held close. But then the inevitable darkness comes calling. Word really fail me as I just am not sure if I am reading it right. All I can say is it was meaningful and touched a deep chord within me. Thanks much for your deep and beautiful writing.
Blessings,
Kathy

[An owl on the moon]

So appreciate your presence here, dear Kathy. Thank you so much for reading into the light and dark colors here. Blessings... Craig

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Why didn't I read this before?! This is breathtaking, Craig, and left me quite entranced even after reading several times...! I love your descriptions. I could fill this review with the ones I like but then it'll only be just that :P Most of all, I love this:
"at distance from fear or pain. At a distance, it seems, from life."
This appeals to me the most, perhaps because I see myself in these lines...
Brilliant piece of writing. My favourite of yours by far. :))

[An owl on the moon]

I am so thankful you came by, dear poet. I hoped you might understand the shadowed places here. May that distance fall from you and dancing rise all around you there. :)

[Coyote Poetry]

I loved the story in the poetry. Honest, direct and worthwhile description made the words come alive.
"Dark streaks of ink rape the sky of light.
Her yet smiling eyes cannot behold the sudden sight.
It becomes a challenge, a test of the will;
can you be content just standing still?"
The above lines. Asked questions and you made the reader believe. Thank you my friend for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[An owl on the moon]

Always grateful for your visits, my friend. Wanting this week to bring you so much joy.

[Coyote Poetry]

I hope you had a good week and you are welcome my friend.

[An owl on the moon]

It has been wonderful. Thank you my friend. :)

[Crowley]

Wow...and to think, I had no idea when I came back that this was you Mr. Forman. Otherwise I may have visited a bit more. Sorry for that. you have always been one of my faves. This was absolutely stunning. So is the book available on Amazon? I am getting quite the collection of books now from Marian and Susie and Poppy and hopefully now you. Great job my man!!!

[An owl on the moon]

Haha! My dear friend, so glad you found me! And yes, you can find An Owl on the Moon there on Amazon for sure. Thank you for your encouragement! Looking forward to reading more from you again!

[barleygirl]

I love the imaginative & lyrical way you combine pairs of ideas together using “and”: “amber & turquoise” . . . “jade & jasper” . . . “rose & summer” . . . “ebony & auburn” . . . it feels like you put two pieces of fabric together, designed to match on multiple levels. All in all, your writing in this poem is more dramatic & full of imagery than I’ve remembered other poems of yours to be. It’s very powerful & intense to be able to grab such an array of ideas in your writing (((HUGS))) Fondly ,Margie

[An owl on the moon]

Dear Margie, thank you so much for your insights on my poetry, for your kindness, for being a wondrous light here in this poetic world. You are deeply appreciated, by me and many others. (((HUGS))) :)

[barleygirl]

Now I'll never get this smile off my face! *smile*

[Moonie]

You've used your colors so well to convey the mood. The colors are contrasting and quarreling at first- amber and turquoise( orange and blue which are often used for contrast even in film-making as they lie on the opposite to each other on the color wheel. David Fincher is known to use this color combination for almost all his movies), jade and jasper(green and red are again used as the contrasting colors in films as they too lie opposite on the color wheel), but after seeing her vision the colors become so synchronous- the golden glow of sun and her own glowing light; and then again a contrast- the gold with the blue of the coming darkness.

[An owl on the moon]

Your insights are just magnificent, dear poet. Love your sense of the colors, and of colors that live in other worlds of canvas and on screen. May you find a world of colors always calling you home. I thank you with all my heart.

[Just Kim]

Dark streaks of ink rape the sky of light.
Her yet smiling eyes cannot behold the sudden sight.
It becomes a challenge, a test of the will;
can you be content just standing still?

WOW such a wonderful write, I really enjoyed these words here.
You are very talented. I will read more.

[An owl on the moon]

I so appreciate you stopping by to read my poetry, Kymberleigh. Hope your week brought you much joy. :)

[Neville]

an intriguing title drew me in and once in, I found a kaleidoscope of colour waiting... and a beautifully crafted poem that succeeded in delighting this old fella...... cheers , Neville

[An owl on the moon]

Neville, thank you so much for your kindness. May the weekend bring you sweet inspiration.

[Neville]

my pleasure entirely and true... N