Saturday, July 21, 2007

Poem

Morning Elegy

by Ana Blandiana

First I promised to say nothing,
But later that morning
I saw you pass the gates with bagfuls of ash
Scattering them as you went as if sowing wheat.
Unable to contain myself, I shouted:
'What are you doing? What are you doing?
It is for you that I snowed over town, all night long,
It is for you that I have blanched all things,
All night long,
If only you knew how difficult it is to snow!'

Last night as I flew into space, you had fallen asleep.
It was dark out there and cold.
I flew all the way to the one place where,
Causing the suns to spin, vacuum snuffs them out,
And, still aching in this corner
To return and snow you over,
I watched, weighed and approved each tiny snowflake,
Saw each one mature, made glisten by my eyes.

Now, feverish, exhausted, sleep will take me
And as I watch you spread the ash of extinct fire
Over my immaculate white work, I smile and tell you:
Snowdrifts higher than these will succeed me
And will cover you with all the white in the world.
So heed this law now:
Gigantic snowdrifts will succeed us
And all your ash will not suffice.
Even the smallest baby will learn to snow
And the white will cover your vain attempts to deny it.
And the Earth will enter the whirl of planets,
A star glistening with snow.

19 comments:

Tina Poe said...

Such a beautiful scene and story you've created.

Toy Illustration said...

The line about how difficult it is to snow is great! The illustration evokes the beauty of the sky . I love the watercolor effect you got on a computer!

Nancy Bea Miller said...

Wow, very strong and eerie poem. Beautiful art!

shaky mouse said...

Beautiful treatment.. the verse compliments it well.

Eli said...

Nice colors and composition!

steve said...

Love how this shimmers with such life and compliments the equally beautiful text.

Anonymous said...

bella prospettiva aerea e bella atmosfera notturna...non conosco questa autrice, cercherò su google...ciao

Giggles said...

Complete beauty, illustration and poetry!

studio lolo said...

Charming Nicloe. Lovely poem and illo choice.

Focus_ret said...

I like everything about this post - except the tiny house in the drawing. It is too white, too mechanical, too straight. It jars me, in an illustration full of curving lines and fantasy. I understand why you put it there - it gives us the perspective. But perhaps it could be toned down a bit? Darkened?

Nicole Florian said...

@focus_ret: Thank you, you have right.
I think now it's better...

Secretary said...

foarte fain ...imi place tot ce faci ...ai spirit si putere de a patrunde lucruri si stari in esenta lor. Felicitari.

Nicole Florian said...

Multumesc Secretary!

Zara said...

Beautiful image!

trudette said...

Very poëtic, great composition.

spacedlaw said...

Beautiful picture !

Digital Scott's Illustrationblog said...

Very nice work!!! I like your restrained color palette.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I love the atmosphere in the painting and it complements the poem beautifully - she's a new poet to me.

Anonymous said...

ELEGIE DE DIMINEATA


La început făgăduisem să tac, dar apoi, dimineaţa,
V-am văzut apărând cu cenuşa în porţi,
Semănând cum se seamănă grâul, cenuşa,
Şi n-am mai putut, şi-am strigat: Ce faceţi? Ce faceţi?
Pentru voi am nins toată noaptea deasupra oraşului,
Pentru voi am albit toată noaptea: o, dacă
Aţi pricepe ce greu e să ningi!
Aseară de cum v-aţi culcat am ieşit în văzduh.
Era întuneric acolo şi frig. Trebuia
Să zbor până-n punctul unic în care
Vidul roteşte în jurul lui sorii şi-i stinge
Şi eu trebuia să mai pâlpâi o clipă în unghiul acela
Ca să mă-ntorc ningând printre voi.
Orice fulg l-am gândit, cântărit, încercat,
Modelat, lustruit cu privirea,
Şi acum cad de somn şi de oboseală am febră.
Vă privesc semănând praful focului mort
Peste alba mea operă şi zâmbind vă destăinui -
Or să vină ninsori mult mai mari după mine
Şi tot albul din lume va ninge pe voi,
Încercaţi să pricepeţi legea lui de pe-acuma,
Or să vină uriaşe ninsori după noi,
Şi nu veţi avea destulă cenuşă,
Şi copiii de mici învăţa-vor să ningă,
Şi-o să-acopere albul slaba voastră tăgadă,
Şi intra-va pământul în rotirea de stele
Ca un astru arzând de zăpadă.


Îmi amintesc că un gând asemănător a fost un portret al lui Eminescu... acolo se referea la Luceafăr. Să vad daca am sa gasesc.
http://upload.moldova.org/social/faces/eminescu.jpg

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