Ritual In Transfigured Time

This is an exercise I had to do for one of my modules, 'Experiments in Writing'. It's inspired by the film 'Ritual in Transfigured Time' by Maya Deren - we had to write a poem starting with the title, and let our thoughts go from there, following the same

 

Ritual in transfigured time,

You stand between two doors,

You see the choices one must make,

Still as stone, wide awake,

Fear, your face, shows what’s at stake,

You wanted to forget.

 

Drifting through a keepsake dream

With both your eyes wide shut,

Blind to air and space and time,

You stumble once, you try to climb

The stairs you scaled when you were fine,

A mirror, glass, your skin is lined,

You wanted to believe.

 

That’s her, me, I used to be

So happy and content,

You laughed, you cried,

You ran, you lied,

You danced, and screamed, and finally died

The day you stopped to think.

 

These ships that pass on through the night,

Their lights a-flashing bright,

Hello, goodbye, I’ll miss these waves,

The rise and fall, the things we braved,

We sank, we swam, I cannot stay,

I curl up save inside my cave,

I want to go to sleep.

 

I feel his arms around me now,

The soft, the sweet embrace,

But now the wind begins to change,

Blows debris, time, across the range

Of my mind, fast, the storm and strange

Memories of the past.

 

I try to smell, to taste that bliss,

That age, that life, that dance

Of passions, fire, that step, that sole,

That tempo, flight, that made me whole,

To touch, to run, my heart it stole

But now my core is black as coal

Imploded face, corrupt.

 

I wish I could again re-live

These hours, years and time,

Transfigured by the thousands spent,

Whose rites of life and sacrament

You blessed us with the hour you lent

Us spirit, breath and soul.

 

Reviews

[Moods]

I try to smell, to taste that bliss,
That age, that life, that dance
Of passions, fire, that step, that sole,
That tempo, flight, that made me whole,
To touch, to run, my heart it stole
But now my core is black as coal
Imploded face, corrupt.

My favorite stanza from this very well done poem. You reached the depth of truth in your write...

Excellent.

S