Thursday, December 23, 2010

a fairy tale

christmastime hovers in a space between worlds. the earthly world gets described by gifts and decorated trees, food, drink, and loving company. the fairy world gets described by the otherness of imagining, of worlds long passed and yet entirely present. ideas that dance in the flames of candles and fires.
wishes that glisten like tinsel and glass.
when the gentle season approaches, i find myself drawn irrevocably to the spaces in-between here and there:
the magical interstice of what is above and below.


on winter nights beside the nursery fire
we read the fairy tale, while glowing coals
builded its pictures.


there before our eyes
we saw the vaulted hall of traceried stone
uprear itself, the distant ceiling hung
with pendent stalactites like frozen vines;

the great hall and round table at winchester castle


and all along the walls at intervals,
curled upwards into pillars, roses climbed,
and ramped and were confined, and clustered leaves
divided where there peered a laughing face.
the foliage seemed to rustle in the wind,
a silent murmur, carved in still, gray stone.



high pointed windows pierced the southern wall
whence proud escutcheons flung prismatic fires
to stain the tessellated marble floor
with pools of red, and quivering green, and blue . . .

excerpted from "a fairy tale" by amy lowell

13 comments:

Dan Gurney said...

"when the gentle season approaches, i find myself drawn irrevocably to the spaces in-between here and there:
the magical interstice of what is above and below"

Me too. Ever since I was a boy and believed in Santa Claus and the many other magical aspects of Christmas, I've been drawn to the apartness of this season, the idea that peace on earth and goodwill to all might prevail more fully.

Friko said...

Dear steven

thank you for another one of your little miracle posts.
I am so very glad that you exist and that I can come and drink at your fountain any day I like.

With much love and best wishes for a happy season,

friko

Reya Mellicker said...

the magical interstice of what is above and below.

Oh yeah. This is the very reason I so love our friendships and kinships here in the blog realm and on Facebook. They are real and unreal, all at once.

Going to go light candles now.

hope said...

I think the in betweeness is where you find the heart of good friends.

Thanks friend!

Kay said...

i love your world.....even if i only get to be in it for a few moments...it is bliss....xx

Linda Sue said...

Dreamy- love to be read to like that- thank you! Also LOVE your header- most interesting photo- delicious, textured, beautiful hues- LOVE IT! Happy merry to you dear Steven- cheers!

steven said...

linda sue - one of the best pieces of my wrk as a teacher is reading to kids - one-on-one or to a group or a whole class. it's deep, dreamy, pure, imaginative, fly away and leave this place wayyyyy behind stuff!!! the header is a shot of some snow and ice with today's early early morning sun fuzzing his way through. steven

steven said...

kay thankyou and you're always welcome here. steven

steven said...

hope i believe you're right!! steven

steven said...

reya - light the candles and save the little ends for the next new year's eve year-end candle!!! real and unreal all at once. for sure.. steven

steven said...

friko thanks for the sweet comment and especially for the love!! i'm a blessed man to have the fortune to know you. steven

steven said...

dan - i think that in many ways peace and goodwill does prevail more fully than it used to. we know there's a long way to go to really make the work complete. steven

Suz said...

spaces in-between here and there
Wonderfully said
that space is vast
Always a delight coming your way
and wishing you a merry and wonderfilled holiday