“Winter convinced me I was impermeable.
Today I’ve moved a lawn chair
close enough to prop my legs on the fence
and doze, light pressed like thumbs
against my eyelids. I’d drink this sun
with my veins if I were green and growing,
with chloroplasts instead of follicles.
When I blink away phantom spots, I see a wasp
clinging to the fence board. It strokes
the pine grain with its front legs, back legs
braced as the head bobs, mandibles
harvesting whatever flushes from vesicles
of rotted wood—whatever it is, I can’t see.
The wasp pauses, then flies to my leg
and fondles the stubble there. I will myself
to breath calmly, relaxed, focused
on observing this infinitely interesting
living thing. Then I give way to instinct,
My gasp wrenched to wide-open shout
at the inevitable sting. Once there was
a ceramicist who cast vessels on the scale
of human beings. Asked why he punctured each
one by striking the soft clay with a two-by-four,
he answered, “To let the darkness out.”
~ Laura-Gray Street, Phosphenes and Entopics
Quote Source: atomiclanterns. Image Source: olganoes.com via mydivine–cloudnumber9
I love this…I can’t articulate why, but I love it….
Me too. It was actually inspired by Mimi’s post today. I felt she needed the finishing line and the puncturing part…:)
I was hanging on every word.
Me too…I was locked in and couldn’t let go…
I needed that…as I read this marveling at her liquid details (including the sting). It all flowed so smoothly. How a luminescent moment morphs fluidly into letting the darkness out. I don’t do that very much. I hold it in until it passes. There’s enough darkness out there – I really don’t want to add to it. It gives me no pleasure at all.
Glad to help! 🙂
Yesterday, I was stung by a wasp. I can still feel the sting. Today I read about how I should have seen the act. Love this.
Amazing coincidence Lesley. You probably had the “wide open shout” part down pat. 🙂 I loved this too…
Whew!
Thought I was really shallow for a moment there – my mind zoomed in on the stubble on the legs (just shave already!) – but the ending moved me so I guess I’m OK!
Hilarious. How you ended up there, wow!
David,
This passage is so powerful, so rich, so textured. She is an artist of words.
Thanks for bringing her work to us.
Tom
Thanks Tom. I agree.
Such a pleasure to read, so engrossingly descriptive.
I so agree Bill. I read this at least 10x and couldn’t put a finger on it’s magic. And then concluded, it’s simply magical.