Rachel’s Ladder
Rosie Hardy - Self Portrait
Rachel’s Ladder
I. When There Is
No darkness without light.
No rest without sleep.
No dreams without love.
No madness without obsession.
No miracles without imagination.
II. The Builders
Angles and machines build
a nimbus on my breath.
A cherub sends a raincloud.
Archangels bleed excess
III. The Rest Place
To return
without denial
to a warm body.
My head on a cushion
soul and joy are one.
IV. The Twin Flame
In dreamland
our silver threads meet:
A love affair in corporeality.
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I think this is the last One Stop Poetry Challenge for Sunday:
http://onestoppoetry.com/2011/07/sunday-photography-interview-rosie-hardy-poetry-challenge.html
This is the: Sunday Photography Interview: Rosie Hardy & Poetry Challenge
I got the picture from her website, specifically, the Self-Portrait Section:
http://www.rosiehardy.com/1145-self-portraits
Posted on July 17, 2011, in One Stop Poetry, Poetry and tagged archangel, challenge, corporeality, darness, dreams, form, free, imagination, ladder, light, love, madness, miracles, obsession, one, photography, poetry, rachel, raincloud, saint, silver threads, sky, stop, twin flame. Bookmark the permalink. 25 Comments.
Verification wastes my time, and often doesn't work. I am going to stop commenting on pages that require verification one of these days.
ZONGRIK 
i liked it very much 🙂 nice job!
it is sheer delight to read your mini chapters…i esp like the builders…really great imagery!
Someone had to build Jacob and Rachel’s ladder. Think about it.
Each “mini chapter” can also stand by itself. I really felt the impact of the 3rd and 4th sections, as well as the overall effect of the initial pairings. Second section is amazing too. “Angles and machines build
A nimbus on my breath.
A saint sends a raincloud.
Archangels bleed excess”
Powerful, in relatively few words w/symbolic imagery.
I guess writing this way is the screenplay writer in me.
Quite vivid. Good work.
I really like the pairing of sections, each to its own stand, ladder steps building together as the image, yet ‘The Builders’ too stands out for me.
what a cool take on a cool picture…i like this a lot!
Wonderful poetry 🙂
Enjoyed reading it.
Loved these words – “No madness without obsession.No miracles without imagination.”
You presented this poem in such a unique manner, and one that worked extremely well, Very enjoyable! Thank you.
Love the image…the poem is very succinct. I can appreciate poems when no extra words are needed
I agree.
I really like this all, but Section I seems more like a prologue to the entire piece than a poem within it.
I love:
Angles and machines build
a nimbus on my breath.
true words.
very well put.
Great picture & a wonderful poem. Nice!
my offering for Gooseberry Garden picnic: http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/this-eden/
very wonderful pieces.
Enjoyed the building on the prompt…separate but together.
Thank you…I always learn so much from your writing.
☮ Siggi in Downeast Maine
since I love to teach, the fact that you say that i teach you so much, and you like my writing is toooo darn kewl.
The last stanza won me over. Gorgeous.
Beth
Gorgeous writing. Stunning tender imagery.
Just wonderful, Bat-Ami. I love that you took Jacob’s ladder and showed that we, too, as women, struggle with angels and climb the Tree. I like the interplay of body and spirit. Hope I didn’t read too much into it.
no. you didn’t read too much into it at all. that’s exactly the point. Rachel and Jacob were twin flames. they are classic lovers, so if Jacob had a ladder, wouldn’t Rachel? and it’s all spiritual and a struggle with angels, of course.
Of course Rachel would have a ladder and all the obstacles and struggles that go with climbing. This is wonderful Bat-Ami and the photo is phenomenal! Perfect with your writing!
Gayle
This is an intriguing poem filled with lots of imagery.
Artfully done ….. Enjoyed it …!!!
Isadora
cool pic! and great write.