Sometimes darkness lies with open arms
Casting no shadows;
No zones of jagged uncertainty
The folded black is bosom-soft
An iris around the eye
Could it be that dark is not opposed by light
But is the place where light is falling?
For the night is not defeated by starlight-
It is anointed.
At the edge of this suburban half light
Beyond the reach of neon
Darkness is waiting
Like pregnancy
For light to be born
May you be richly blessed this Christmas.
(Our house lit by a bit of slave ‘flash painting’ work on a long exposure.)
Last week we had a lovely couple staying as guests in our annex from London. This was their first time in Scotland, and they were blown away by the beauty, and even more so by the peace and quiet.
One of the things they mentioned too was darkness. The kind of darkness that you only get at some distance from light pollution that bounces off clouds and leaches into every corner. Their reaction to a walk up our drive at night was a combination of fear and wonder.
All of which led me to think about the juxtaposition of light against dark, goodness against badness, truth against falsehood, etc. All those old polarities; one of which we ascribe to God, the other we blame on the flesh or the devil.
One of which can not exist without the other.
So, light can only be understood in the knowledge of darkness. As Jesus put it;
…the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.Matt 4:16
I started to think about how all of these things might exist in the mind of God.
And the Darkness became purple again.
Part of some poetry written for Aoradh’s Pucks Glen meditation walk- another Cowalfest collaboration. If you are local- come along to the Glen next Saturday @ 2.00pm. You can book here.
The sun can only be seen in the light
Of the sun
And everything else is just
Reflection
~
Sometimes our roads lead through dark places
Places of uncertainty
Bridges between here-
And somewhere else
~
But darkness is often penetrated
From above
~
Like this falling silver water
The dark nights are always a surprise when the clocks change from BST to GMT- it was already dark when I was home from work at 5.15.
Winter feels that step closer.
Darkness is rising.
So on this All Saints Day- may some fractals of light make their home in your soul.
For the winter is long
But also
Beautiful.
this fragile tent 