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Sunday, May 30, 2010

To Mystery

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To Mystery ~

Cloud all this knowledge from my head.
Shade my eyes, the sun is strong.

Come in here, through the back way.
Leave the front door for strangers to knock on.

You are the unknown in the known,
the forgotten shirt I found
pressed against the back of the closet
and put on, something in its soft pocket
left there sometime.


~ Ruth
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42 comments:

Marcie said...

Love the bit about the forgotten shirt found in the closet. Such a beautiful words to describe the mystery of the forgotten and unknown. Gorgeous image too!!

Ruth said...

Hi, Marcie, thank you.

Do you ever want everything to go back inside and close the door for a while? Sometimes too much is revealed. :)

Pauline said...

sighing with pleasure - this was a very image-provoking bit of writing.

amuse me said...

Beautiful to read on a gorgeous Sunday morning.

Ruth said...

Hi, Pauline, thank you. It's a dance. "Boogaloo, we two"?

Ruth said...

Hi, M. Happy Sunday in beautiful summery Michigan, thank you. Enjoy.

Bella Rum said...

Beautiful imagery, Ruth. Here's to mystery!

Ruth said...

Yes, Bella, not everything has to come into the light of day.

Unknown said...

oh I so like this.
and with the photo, lovely.
I keep reading, soft pocket, sometime,

mystery is good.

Lorenzo — Alchemist's Pillow said...

I think there is no more beautiful word or concept in our language than 'mystery'. For some reason the lines "Come in here, through the back way. Leave the front door for strangers to knock on" really stay on my mind

Ruth said...

Deb, I know you feel it too, the mystery in the ordinary. All that you posted today.

Ruth said...

Lorenzo, yes, and I was feeling that I sort of need to fight for it. Both for it to remain in me, and on its behalf out there. (Not that it needs my assistance.)

@ctors Business said...

I love this Ruth very mysterious:

You are the unknown in the known,
the forgotten shirt I found
pressed against the back of the closet
and put on, something in its soft pocket
left there sometime.

I have to agree with Marcie - those lines hold so much in their folds, things lost, found, desired, abandoned
Really haunting.

Barry said...

I love a little mystery too. I wonder what was in that pocket? And do I love mystery enough not to look?

gma said...

Whispered in the yard
secrets shared with back door friends
strangers never to know.

Arti said...

Yes, you've said it with eloquence. That's why I love films that are restrained, scenes linked up in elliptical moments. If all things are open and in plain sight, we wouldn't have known the joy of finding, or the value of faith.

sandy said...

Wow, softly beguiling, wonderful RUth.

who said...

there was quite a bit of time stuft into that soft pocket. Sort of impossible to say how much because it was like a movie screen with 100 thumbnail images all flashing through 5 to 6 frames per second. The wealth of information it held was amazing

Hildegarde said...

Hello neighbor !
Mystery : beautiful in words and image.

* said...

Love the imagery in this, the forgotten shirt, especially.

ds said...

Another echo: beautiful! "forgotten shirt pressed against the back of the closet...something in its soft pocket" And the back door, and clouds, for the sun is too bright. mmm...
Thank you.

PeterParis said...

I would like to imagine that the forgotten shirt is hanging on one of the lines on your wonderful "laundry joy" photo.

joaop1960@gmail.com said...

I like it.
(it's a joy to discover a secret stash hidden somewhere, yesterday I watched the beginning of Amelie Poulain and it kicked off like that.)

Oh said...

Ruth, happy summer (though it's not calendar official but still, the sun and excitement of it are here.)

Didn't I love this poem...and the title which directed me, just...enough....YES!

I hope you are compiling a chapbook, that also includes your wonderful images.

PS the inspires me to think of how I love wearing my husband's shirts from time to time, his old worn ones, that even when clean still smell like him. He doesn't "get it" but he smiles about it anyway.

Vagabonde said...

Ah so lovely – I like it.

Ruth said...

Gwei Mui, thank you.

After hearing your voice on your podcast today, I wish I could hear you read these lines of mine, with that feeling you expressed, the haunting quality. I would love it!

Maybe we should collaborate. :)

Ruth said...

Barry, some things are better left unanswered. But many, many things are better to know. My heart is with you today.

Ruth said...

I love that, Gemma, heart chambers opened to friends.

Ruth said...

Arti, I love that about you, something we share. Your post on To Kill a Mockingbird has me in a state of dissolving at the moment. I will get the book from the library today and add the film to Netflix to watch again.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Sandy, beguiling is such a beguiling word. :)

Ruth said...

Dusty, nice. I see that.

Ruth said...

Hallo en dank u, Hildegarde!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Terresa. Could be in your donation box I think. :)

Ruth said...

DS, sweet word-spirit, your echoes are worth a lot to me.

Ruth said...

That's a nice thought, Peter, merci.

Ruth said...

João, good one. That film is very nostalgic too.

Ruth said...

Happy summer to you too, Oh.

Oh you are kind, and your encouragement keeps turning my face toward a small book. Something to at least give family and close friends. These days with Blurb and other suches, it is easy to self publish.

Husband's shirt. Oh yes.

Ruth said...

Merci, Vagabonde.

Susan said...

Gorgeous imagery, Ruthie!

I like finding a twenty in a forgotten shirt pocket! ;-}

Jeanie said...

Your poetry is so eloquent and oh, the mystery it conveys! Lovely!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Susie. Yes! That's the jackpot. :)

Ruth said...

Thank you so much, Jeanie. I dreamt about you last night, must be in anticipation of lunch Thursday. Finally!