Saturday, September 23, 2006

parchment and ink

by Karyn Huntting Peters

soft, flowing characters
of some ancient alphabet
painted with sharpened reeds
upon hand-pressed parchment

black ink of yore makes images
of peaceful streams and mountains
hanging in the gentle spring sun
slowly drying to permanence

delicate parchment is at peace
reflecting the tranquility within
never cognizant in its free expression
of inherent fragility and grace

of the pointed, cold steel blade
thrust into its woody fibers
by the hand of the very artist
who had brought its words to life

it falls now from its hanging place
waving to and fro in the breeze
comes to rest in the moist grasses
its still wet ink crying into itself

tales of joy and beauty lost
as stream and mountains run together
bleeding tears of ink and despair
beneath the artist's loving hands




No comments: