I Looked Within
17December 31, 2022 by petrujviljoen
I looked within, found some blood as fresh as the beginning of injustice and the rose moaned forget-me-not // the trace of slime of the snail gleams silver in the light of a cold gibbous moon
the self, the sense squandered before the start of grieving the pattern settled engraved on the soul (and the body’s remembering), before blood, veined, flowed freely at the rose’s beginning
“forget-me-not” – the distant moon traced the trickle of its own faint light, there is grieving at its passing, cold enfolding the blood-red rose’s spirit closing at remembering injustices of the night
petrujviljoen 
impactful: inexplicably so, like most good poems.
Thank you!
Many of us have found that what we thought we wrote carries more in it than intended. When that happens to me, I smile and say, “Yes. I meant that!” Happie(r,st) of new years.
Smiles. I looked at the poem and saw what Jane meant. Night for the black, red for the blood and white for the moon.
Black white and red. Mystical and full of sadness.
I’m surprised at the colours you arrived at. I certainly didn’t mean to work it in.
Maybe I just look for them, and maybe, if they’re a recurring theme in mythology, it’s for a reason, possibly the reason you chose them subconsciously. I love the repetition of the themes.
I replied to Charley, I went back to the poem to see and indeed, white for the moon, red for the blood and black for the night. It’s an ages old combination.
It’s such a potent one.
Yes. From the Matriarchal culture way back when.
I wonder if that explains the favoured colours for cattle in Minoan Crete. The Irish have the same colours for hounds—white with black patches and red ears and feet.
Probably! I’ll look it up. Have a book on the shelf but in bed already! Each colour has meaning. White is unknown ground, or things unexplored, black has a ‘been-there-done-that’ atmosphere and red the process I think. I’m being a bit flippant! Sorry.
Sounds a rather jaded modern take on it. I read something about it not long ago, but can’t remember where.
Sorry, am in a bad mood. The book Running with the Wolves has a chapter or two on it as well. Shall revisit it.
I’m usually in a bad mood. But I don’t take offence easily 🙂
Smiles!
🙂