From The Gutter To The Jewel In The Lotus

She has the radio on in the other room,

and the words invade her train of thought.

Then, her beauty queen cat, black as pitch,

meows; and her moon eyes beg for treats.

The train derails, and she loses it all.

 

The oak leaves softly sway outside the window

as she seeks inspiration in glints of gold.

It hovers in the distance creating shadow and light

as she stands on the landing spilling poignancy

down steep steps of moss-skinned stone.

 

The pulse of summer is silent

as the heat presses down on the collarbone of a climber,

a full-blown flaming torch rising from her rosy mouth.

She is reminded of Neruda’s Garden and Quixote:

"puntual, el nacimiento de una rosa."

 

She emerges a pillar of alabaster between the pines,

her eyes following the wind’s sweet promise

as it blows through her hair towards tomorrow,

taking with it the dandepuff dalliance,

parachuting into the quiet hush with wistful grace.

 

Selene poses before her, lures the free lance,

and builds a stage for competition and composition.

There is brightness and a faint movement of dust

as she kicks up her heels, pulls flecks and specks from sky,

and culls the substance of everything until she is finished.

 

Between bites of blackened chicken and saffron rice,

she scribes, scribbles, sanctifies, and solidifies.

Every leaf and petal, every stem and stone is overturned.

She strokes her silken strand of raspberry pearls

as she delves deaf deep into the water of words.

 

Between Eve’s Ribs and Jezebel’s Hips,

she battles CrowWoman and MudGirl.

She -the Raspberry Girl- battling

The Girls with Red Hair on Cherry Cadillacs with Bushido Swords.

She came From the Gutter to the Jewel in the Lotus.

 

Numbness passes for peace for some,

but she knows the difference between calm and calamity.

Her quarry is made of evergreen moments.

The fires of her mind are Masamune steel -

the Honjo Nihonto, curving into mythos.

 

She was crafted, fallen from the air,

forged in the gutter of a ruined hull,

discerning, learning, turning, and burning.

She erupted, resting upon the moon’s knees,

then glinted into the jewel in the lotus.

 

A mad girl, a mud girl, a mighty, magic thing:

she scintillates from the river’s throat of song.

From the temple windows of her eyes, she watches,

winking out of the darkness like stars;

and the moon becomes full, for he has just fallen in love.

Author's Note

This poem was written specifically for Selene’s Surreal Poetry Writing Contest.

From The Gutter To The Jewel In The Lotus

Reviews

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

oh let me catch my breath~ from the first I could see every sequence laid out on perfect pitch and wildly painted hues~ herein I see the woman made of snowflakes but with such strong substance underneath disgorging beautiful ink tendrils from her fingertips on the stage of world~ word as a stage~ creating dimensional shifts with magikal words insctibed~ this is the very essence of the conjoined creative process~ twinned between pleats of here and there bending together on that magnificent tapestry of the collective human unconscious brought to fruition through poetic fluidity with such refined grace~
I truly felt pulled through~ bending over your shoulder as you wrote each line~ what a gem like sequence of events describing the conception of literary creation~ I am honored that you entered and dazzled by your lush and limitless imagination which you obviously poured with such passion into the write~

[David Lewis Paget]

You inhabit a universe distilled in the mind, into which you give us snatches of grace. There's always an element of sensory erotica in your work, no less than here with
'Between Eve’s Ribs and Jezebel’s Hips,
she battles CrowWoman and MudGirl....
The real world calls me back, but I take with me faint echoes of your resonances.

[Tomás Ó C..]

The use of language here is awesome... loved it!!!

[Cristal Bridges]

I must say, I love how your poems tell such amazing stories. They are such beautiful parts of the world whether real or imagined! They inspire a sense of reality and beauty. Whether they make you cry from the sadness of them or open your eyes to a new world; your poetry is always a treat to read. I like this a lot. Nice writing. :0)

[Hellslastwarrior]

Awww wow awsume poem showed great insight and i defently wana see mroe of your work :)

[Nancy S.]

Linda Marie, I'm so happy I read this~

You are an amazing writer, and you touch my heart with your illumination of Selene's life and many talents. To this reader's eye, heart, mind, and soul, your poetry dims in beauty only when compared the subject of it's motivation...

May you always dwell in her muse, dear lady, for she, her poetic gifts, her wisdom hard won and beautifully sketched on paper, look good on you...

You gifted her today... in the knowledge that she has touched you...
What a unique gem for you to treasure!!!

[Molafvt]

I must admit that I am not an educated writer and am not familiar with Seline's work, but regardless I found this to be a most magical piece. I doubt, even I were familiar with Seline's work, I highly doubt it is more marvelous than this.
I am in awe of how you lead into this "train" of thought from......

"She has the radio on in the other room,

and the words invade her train of thought.

Then, her beauty queen cat, black as pitch,

meows; and her moon eyes beg for treats.

The train derails, and she loses it all.



The oak leaves softly sway outside the window

as she seeks inspiration in glints of gold.

It hovers in the distance creating shadow and light

as she stands on the landing spilling poignancy

down steep steps of moss-skinned stone."

An incredibly human hand, shaping the birth of literature and creation itself.
To move from the mundane to the miraculous as you did only confirms your masterful brilliance. This is, without doubt, "deaf deep" proof of your deaf deep thought processes as I was allowed to watch the "train derails" I am humbled and awed to be present for the birth of your universe. A most inspiring work.
Again my dear, you leave me "almost: speechless. And yes, the birth of a Rose, as with all of nature, is not only punctual, but as mind blowing as your words.
Truly remarkable...............!!!!!!!

[Michael X]

You are the master at rhyming, I love the way your words flow so enchanting, they are softly spoek, and the imagery comes to life in such dreamy ways, this tells of life, love and desire, happiness in the clouds, moon over the heart. beautifull brilliant, as you are my friend.

[Richard Williams]

This leaves me breathless and almost speechless. This is epic in its grandeur and scope and skill. Each line seems to have a life of its own. Marvelous.