Where the Rainbow Fell & Other Things
I’ve decided there is not much that’s more heart-shatteringly beautiful than a rainbow in the mountains.
Where the Rainbow Fell
I saw your green hillsides
With the many lifted arms of saguaros
Praying to the sun--
Yes, I saw your green hillsides and valley
Through the shimmered hues of two rainbows
That fell into your heartbeat
Like a pair of butterflies
Tumbling above the cups of golden flowers--
Brilliant, many-hued and momentary,
A love song to all things.
One evening this last week, I stood outside watching the rain moving in the distance. I have tried twice to record the incident but am not fully satisfied with either attempt. I post them both here anyway. First, the free verse version…
The late rays of the sun catch
In the rain where it falls
On the far side of the valley,
Where it hangs dark against the sky
And light against the mountains,
To become a veil that drifts silently onward
Obscuring half the Galiuros,
(Their far sides stand imposing beyond its presence)
While the cliffs at their base rise
Dry and golden where they face the sunset,
And a pair of doves whir out of the garden
With a clamour of hasty wings,
Scenting the rain.
Secondly, here is a briefer (but to my mind happier) rendition in haiku…
White veil against the hills,
gray veil against the clouds~ whir
of doves’ wings lifting
Although this poem could almost stand as simple descriptive poetry, it is frankly verging on being symbolist. As such, it’s probably best with no explanation, except that enquiring readers might like to know that I was listening to Mahler’s music as I began to write. I thought about removing the reference in line five, but the music was indeed affecting my mood and thoughts; it is part of what created the poem, and it deserves to stay. The music in question was the adagietto from his fifth symphony.
The Grey
No red from sunset skies tonight,
But just a failing of the light;
A slow and gentle grey descends
As night arrives and daytime ends;
And maybe Mahler sings it best
For night is also sweet and blest;
Though colour fails yet stars arise,
And hope again will raise our eyes;
Meantime the birds sing evensongs;
There is no loss; the day belongs
To each of us, the nighttime too.
The grey is luminous to view.
I sent my heart to search for peace
At sunlight’s end, at day’s surcease;
The grey is luminous and clear;
All this is mine. The dusk is here.