I know this music, she said,
her bow singing across the riggings of the ship,
vibrations of string, quivering, a Stradivarius
on seascapes wild, Colmcille’s blessing on her lips.
Her petaled fingers close on each note, wind-whipped,
prayer stinging her eyes, cutting grooves calloused
by play, tonal cry of pregnant labor for a birth
where words and sounds attuned once only to elemental
spirits, now midwife new life, the dead burying the dead,
but the people of the Way hearing, come dancing.
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Luke 9:60
And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Image Credit: cocoparisienne from Pixabay Ingrid at dVerse: Poetics Tuesday asks us to "write a poem using only concrete nouns, subject matter and imagery." Click on Mr. Linky and join in!
Dreams from a Pilgrimage 
‘bow singing across the riggings of the ship,
vibrations of string, quivering, a Stradivarius
on seascapes wild, ‘
– such marvellous imagery! It is delightfully lush and descriptive despite being concrete. Great work on the prompt!
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Thank you, Ingrid! Appreciate your comments and the inspiring prompt.
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I love every image and scriptures referred. Simply beautiful!
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I love the way you begin with the song of the ship… a strong symbol for the church. I think and how the unity of faith holds it together.
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Thank you, Björn, especially for the connection I had overlooked between church and ship. Quite serendipitous.
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This is absolutely splendid! I especially like; “tonal cry of pregnant labor for a birth where words and sounds attuned once only to elemental spirits.” 💝💝
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Thank you, Sanaa! 🥰
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I loved the seagoing/Stradivarius imagery as well.
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Thank you so much, Robert. Sometimes the imagery comes together in unexpected ways.
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Loooove. ♥️
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I echo the other comments. 🙂 Beautiful!
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I like the last line. It reminds me of the sheep knowing the Shepherd’s voice.
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I enjoyed the blend of words and music, especially felt this verse, “vibrations of string, quivering, a Stradivarius on seascapes wild,” and the image of believers dancing! 💃💓💃
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Exquisitely drawn from beginning to end. A gorgeous word array.
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Love the details of the music, bow, strings: quivering, a Stradivarius
on seascapes wild, Colmcille’s blessing on her lips.
The words lifted me up, line by line up to a crescendo, as if the beautiful music will never stop. Amazing write Dora!
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The words weave music like the ship’s rigging, like the strings of the violin, like the ocean.(K)
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This is so good Dora… A theological abstract in the concrete… How did you do that!
Such great images for the violin! Love your ending… Those who know will come dancing!
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The description is just incredible. It transports you like the music.
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I was also thinking “music”!
❤
David
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Having years traversing the depths, experiencing the dark abyss whipped to thunderous violence, yet sometimes reflected-petal-in-the-moonlight soft, I can say this strikes a familiar chord. Fair winds and following seas, Dora!
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Beautiful wordplay.
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Truth becomes gospel when a deep voice says “I know this music,” for journey’s end begins there, in that breezy kiss of familiarity taking root and flowering within. We discover what we always knew, or was hidden beneath all the trappings. In every immrama a Blessed Isle: and the music that we hear there is otherworldly, so sweet, and bell-ringingly true. This pilgrim’s psalm is a prayer — a Gospel truth — which becomes fact by practice, as a faith is structured by canonical hours or whatever suffices in similar vein today: In a poem, say. Faith is not abstract but prows, fishes, sails, pages of Gospel, shores, the fire in a saint’s words, a heart swelling abundant. Or something. Divinely put, Dora.
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“…the dead burying the dead, but the people of the Way hearing, come dancing.” Dora, I assure you that I am not saying in false humility that I cannot dance; however, I have broken out in song and dance over God’s grace, forgiveness, mercy and goodness. And like David I am willing to humble myself even more for the Lord out of love, reverence and awe of Him. Love, hugs and blessings!!! 🤗🤗🙏🙏🧡🧡💜💜
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Your poem hit all the high notes!! So strong and deeply satisfying.
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Beautiful, Dora. Very moving, like a rising crescendo to action ❤
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Beautiful lyric poetry at its most ringing and wild, full of emotions yet only as music is, without spelling anything out except to the heart. Everything is shown, heard, not stated, messaged through the senses, not commanded by rote words. The dance, which was also a battle, of the old gods and the new midwifed here. Or so I read. A fine, vivid piece.
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love it…:but the people of the Way hearing, come dancing.” Amen!
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This woman makes me think of the woman in Rev 13 that is the Church…had to look up two words that I didn’t know which adds more of a word picture to your poem!
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