Submitting this poem as part of dVerse Open Link Night (OLN). Click here to link up with today’s post, or here to find other poems.
The prompt for this poem was called “in the window.” I was to imagine a window looking into a place or onto a particular scene. I was to write what I saw and what was going on.
Through distant darkness
neither walking nor running, I was
moving as if a floating camera
toward some spot of light
in a black universe, like one
dot of star, then to a portal,
which I determined to be a window.
A woman was there
on the other side,
in her world of light
from which she looked out.
Her almond eyes stared
and seemed to see into a past,
perhaps mine. Could she see
through me, as if not seeing me,
toward a distant, common hill
in the dark? One she knew well?
She seemed to look but not to see,
her blank blue eyes were calm
and comfortable.
Her hair was streaked with gray
atop her oval head, and softly it dropped
on both sides to a mild but wildly
smooth, unyoung neck. Neither naked
nor covered, her body was as a
faint veil with arms that
I could not see,
with hands she never looked to.
Her skin was pale but smooth,
with pleasant facial wisdom lines.
Her eyes seemed neither pleased
nor sad as she stared, deadpan
into the darkness,
as if I was not there, or perhaps,
she didn’t care; with
eyes that seemed to say something
of a storied past looking into
a dark, peaceful future.
Her nose was powder plain
above a mouth that neither
smiled nor frowned, as if she
thought I could not see her
from my darkness through
the window of her light.
I sensed a beautiful love that was
pure and honest, like a mother
for a child; but also, I thought
I could see a longing or an expecting
in her now-graying, moist eyes.
Eyes without tears or regret.
Then I saw that the window was
a mirror of reality. The woman was
my reflection, able to see
only into my past,
the image of the real me.
Or was it she that I needed to see?
A lighter, brighter, more loving
reflection of myself. The side I’ve never met.
See both ways when looking through windows or into mirrors,
especially as metaphors of life.
Mind the gaps, the cracks, the wrinkles, and the patina of age.
Everything means something.
Our Literary Journey 
I enjoyed the mysterious nature and imagery of your poem. You capture the wisdom of exploring our inner selves and the journey of self discovery 😊
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I’m pleased that you enjoyed it, Sue. One more. 🙂
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Bill, this may be the first poetry I’ve read of yours. I hope to read more. I like the mystical feel to it. I like the sense of movement as the person approached the bright light and the window came into focus. I wasn’t expecting the twist, but it poured out a warming bright wisdom and a touch of regret.
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Oh, thank you, Lisa.
Not the first poem of mine you’ve read or commented on. But you analysis is wonderful. 🙂
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You’re welcome, and are you sure? I know you write FF for FF but…
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I am pretty sure. I write mostly poetry. You responded to one about my attraction for Bukowski. You suggested I put it on dVerse, and you were right.
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Oh ok you got me. Now I remember that! 🙂
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🙂
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Wonderfully mysterious and mystical and…how should I put it….very tenderly written.
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Thank you.
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This is such a deeply moving, mystical write! 💝💝
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Thank you, so much.
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I enjoyed the details and the honesty of your description of this woman, Bill, especially these lines:
“eyes that seemed to say something
of a storied past looking into
a dark, peaceful future.”
A lovely poem 🙂
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Thank you, Sunra. 🙂
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What a lovely write!
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Thank you, Linda.
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You’re welcome.
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Are there sides of ourselves we keep hidden from ourselves? Probably, or at least try to distance ourselves from that self. Anyway, I liked your portrayal of the woman in the window.
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Thank you, Yvonne. Glad you liked it.
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