Walking down halls of stones
arched with time
chanting high walls of tones
white and gold
a song unknown
a hymn unspoken
a voice unheeded
swirls of dust disturbed
by darkened robes in motion
chanting singing intoning
voice rise
slicing sharply into air
voices rise atonal
silences singing spare
unvoiced prayers atonal
emerging then merging
creating lifting, hovering
pulled into hands
hands holding whispers
hands holding sighs.
Photograph: Fountains Abbey by Petr Kratochvil via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.
The first draft of this poem was written during the intermission of a concert by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Chorus, April 9, 2011, that included Samuel Barber’s “Prayers of Kierkegaard” and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, “Resurrection.”
This poem is submitted for One Shot Wednesday sponsored by One Stop Poetry. To see other poems submitted, please visit the site. The links will be live at 4 p.n. Central time.
You can read about Soren Kierkegaard here.
Wow, no wonder a poem was birthed. I can't imagine being there for the performance. Thanks for the poem Glynn. excellent, if only we would pray prayers of truth like that more often...maybe an angelic choir would show up.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great source of inspiration, Glynn!
ReplyDeleteLines that stay with me: "... swirls of dust disturbed/ by darkened robes in motion" and "unvoiced prayers atonal".
good poem
ReplyDeletegorgeous Glynn, abSOULutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeletethis is one of those moments i would just be struck to sit and focus on breathing it all in...nicely done glynn...
ReplyDeleteyour approach is so unique and creative...love the way you express how the music makes you feel and include the notes and the music to the glorious symphony...to be writing your poem as you were there experiencing the music...bravo...i just love this...wonderful writing and creativity...
ReplyDeleteYour poem echos the symphony as it filtered through you. It is an inspiration, beautiful.
ReplyDeletebeautiful poem Glynn (chanting, singing, atoning...)wonderful, like prayer...
ReplyDelete...I have sung in concert with symphony in large chorus...an amazing, fulfilling and life changing experience....to sing these pieces in part, to know your purpose...the purpose of creating such voice...this took me back to such memory...thank you
Ahhh, nothing like a live musical concert to birth such magical words. I felt like I was there, thank you!
ReplyDeleteLoved your poem :) There are myriad shades of silence your words speak .. Beautiful . I am spellbound by the beauty of your words :)Thanks for such a nice read Glynn ! :)
ReplyDeleteReally ejnoyed this one Glynn.
ReplyDelete"arched with time..."
"swirls of dust disturbed
by darkened robes in motion"
Great lines. Placed a perfect image in my head. I swear I was there.
Thanks for sharing