Outside, an evening still-life
city sounds gone.
Color wheel spun to day’s end,
the stuff of coloratura
no more.
Within the darkness,
a multiplicity of light.
Tree leaves
individual by day
morphed imperceptible,
indistinct within their larger shape.
Lunar glow, specks of bright,
office window flickers,
shadows in grays.
Not black or white.
No monochrome this.
Softened lines and curves.
Milky illumination
blending into hazy ebony.
Outside my window,
a continuum of grace.
My urban amen
as I slip into sleep.
We’re Looking Out/Looking In at dVerse today. I’m hosting Tuesday’s Poetics and asking everyone to consider the windows in their apartment/home. They can either look in or look out; look at the view or the window itself. And then write a poem that somehow deals with that window, metaphorically or in reality (poetic license allowed, of course!). Each writer is to do two things: 1) post the photo of their window or view from their window; and 2) write a poem motivated by that photo, using the word “window” in either the title or text of the poem. And by the way, dVerse just celebrated their 6th anniversary yesterday!! dVerse, the virtual pub for poets, opens at 3 PM Boston time today. Come on over and post your “view” and/or just take a peek with us! All are welcome!
lillian the home poet 
Nice! The colors contrasted by the black and white photo is quite effective. I am also drawn in by the description of the leaves, contrasted by day and night. Intriguing prompt, Lillian!
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Glad you enjoyed the photo and post….and the prompt! 🙂 Our colorful noisy city turns into a black and white still late a night 🙂
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So good! And I love the night view from the window, too, that you’ve captured!
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Thank you! Glad you enjoyed.
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Love “urban amen.” I live in one also, but I have a glorious skyscape to fly into with my dreams. 🙂
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Ah….a “skyscape to fly into with my dreams”….now THAT is a poetic line 🙂
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❤
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Your view is so different to mine and yet so alluring. I’d love to know who is behind the windows in those buildings! I love how I can picture the scene, your ‘urban amen’ without looking at the photograph, especially in the lines:
‘Color wheel spun to day’s end
…
Within the darkness,
a multiplicity of light’
and
‘Lunar glow, specks of bright,
office window flickers,
shadows in grays’..
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Thanks, Jilly. Yes — I was contemplating how different our window views are now from our Iowa views….especially when we lived in the country and my kitchen window looked out on our large back yard, many many white cloth diapers flapping on the clothesline, and cows grazing in the field beyond. (the cows were not our —- but the diapers sure were!)
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I liked the line: “Color wheel spun to day’s end” Nice urban scene outside your window.
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Thanks, Frank. I’ve been a country gal and a city gal….have loved both sides!
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“My urban amen” is truly a great construct! The photo draws me to hearing Tom Scott’s Night Creatures. But then, my urban experiences include taxi horns, busses….
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Ah yes…..given that we live across from the main campus of Mass General Hospital, our daytime cityscape includes ambulance sirens and helicopter whirrs to their helioport and the normal traffic sounds too. At night, it is often quiet and still….as I’ve described. But then, the occasional night-time siren or helicopter sound all the more loud because they break into the silence. Glad you enjoyed this one.
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Very much so!
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An urban view! And your head full of words, love your write!
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Thank you! So glad you enjoyed.
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Blimey, what a view! It makes our city lights look like fairy lights on a Christmas tree in comparison! ‘Color wheel spun to day’s end.’ I like that image.
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Yes, the colors disappear as the sun leaves the scene. A continuum of milky whites to shades of ebony take its place. Glad you enjoyed.
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🙂
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Our eyes are windows to the soul, and or windows are access pieces of the puzzle–what makes hikes in the forest so appealing, where panoramas trump piece-meal glimpses of concrete canyons; living in the suburbs now, in a grove of ancient maples. Boston is a babe by night for sure.
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Boston as a babe by night….love that! 🙂 I’ve lived in the rural setting and in the city now. I must say, I’m very glad to have had both experiences. I do miss the fireflies though 🙂
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Wow such a different view, and yet so much to take in. I like that you appreciate it- a continuum of grace…My urbam amen. XXXX
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As weather permits, I sit outside in the early AM and write in my journal, read the paper with a hot steaming cup of coffee…..and always step outside onto the deck for this view at night. Even if but for a moment. There is a calming to it 🙂
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Superb urban nighttime photo and the descriptions are so good. I’m hanging on to this:
Color wheel spun to day’s end. Such a great visual, and inspiring more.
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Thanks, Victoria. Funny…..that image was “plopped in” after the first draft of this. My knitting basket sits by my couch…and I have a brochure with a color wheel on it, suggesting harmonizing colors for knitted projects…and I just thought hmmmm. That’s what really does happen though…the colors of the city disappear as the night falls. Glad you enjoyed.
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Love that urban amen Lillian ~ The view reminded me of the times we had to rent in a high rise condo when our home was being renovated ~ That still frame is gorgeous to see, as all the lights turn off.
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Oh yes….I almost always open the sliding door that windows this view, and step onto our small outdoor deck to lean out and savor this view at night. And yes, I do that after I turn off the living room lights….so there’s no “back lighting’ — just this view 🙂
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How cool to find such beauty in an urban view! I loved this poem, which took me back to the magic of the city, when I was young.
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Happy to take you on a nostalgic journey to your youth. I really do love our view at night 🙂
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Your ‘urban amen’ is so beautifully descriptive. Like a soft wave of visual music.
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Amen to that! 🙂
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Those last four lines – oh my – grace and amen. I used to enjoy living in the big city and looking out at all the lights and buildings and people scurrying below. I don’t miss it though. The photo is just as descriptive as the lovely poem! Thank you for this prompt.
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Glad you liked the prompt. I’ve also lived in the rural country side, and in Iowa City, Iowa….and now these past 20 years, Boston. I can truly say I’ve loved all of the experiences. One isn’t, to me, better than the other — they are just different.
In our country house, I especially loved looking out our kitchen window and seeing the sheets and rows of cotton diapers flapping in the wind on our clothesline. Does anyone hang out clothes anymore?
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I do!!!!
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“Within the darkness,
a multiplicity of light.”—I love. love this and the ‘urban amen’. The photo is magical and makes one curious about the surroundings. Thanks for this wonderful prompt.
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Glad you enjoyed the prompt and my post! 🙂
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…”my urban amen…”. Love that phrase!
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Thankful for every day —- and every night — twinkling window lights are my city stars 🙂
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Everyone – including me! – seems to love that urban amen. It’s great to see a poem celebrating the beauty of the city. I love your gentle description of night falling, all the tiny details adding together.
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Thank you, Sarah. I’ve also lived in rural Iowa, and in Iowa City, Iowa. I must say, I’ve loved every place I’ve lived….none was better than the other. They are just different. And yes….there is a beauty to a cityscape at night as peace seems to come and the frenetic feeling disappears.
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I loved my city time, and I love my current country time. I like to see a cityscape treated like any other landscape. DVerse has made me realise that I am disgracefully ignorant about the USA.
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The color wheel morphed into night..how stark, yet calming the changes in a day. City views are amazing to watch! Amen, indeed!
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Thank you Kathy! So nice to see you here 🙂 Glad you enjoyed.
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I love your urban amen and everything turning to hazy ebony, a beautiful hymn to all that is wonderful about city life! :o) xxx
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Thank you! I always enjoy stepping out onto our deck in the night….:)
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What a view! I love that ‘color wheel spun to day’s end’. Softened lines and curves and milky illumination give such a sense of peacefulness.
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The city truly quiets for the nightscape! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed my view and the words too!
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I love that “urban amen!”
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Amen to that! 🙂
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Every line is beautiful…it gives you space to think and imagine…I loved this!
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Thank you! So appreciate your kind words.
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Fantabulous! 😎😎😎
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