Honoring the Muse

    by Snipe

To stand before the Muse-
that wellspring of insight and inspiration
as personal and unique
as the individual who follows it

To approach with the intention
of honoring this selfless force-
words crash
and tumble to the floor

As a worker who respects his tools
I scramble to apologize
for this brutish display
looking up
into those endless eyes that smile their forgiveness

I stand entranced
as always
as the Muse engulfs me
in its gifts-
I am its hands
that grab desperate for materials-
to translate
to express
to release
to share

Images flash
light through a spoked wheel
faster and still
until the rational mind retreats
and the fun begins-

A perfect
fiddlehead fern
curls seductively open
into a clawed hand offering a black pearl
sunlight praises its surface-
zooming in until it overtakes
and gives way to a haunted temple
pathways of ancient belief
ossified into ornate stone structures
Time heeds the call
and joins the dance to eat away the splendor
leaving moss covered guardians
searching for reason
out of hollow carved sockets

Traveling fast
hurtling into the statues empty eye
A spider
weaving its net
now heavy with morning dew-
each drop refracting the sunrise into
perfect prisms
We race through the spectrum of light
stopping at each wavelength
to experience it's unique properties

I stand fascinated-
the Muse pulling at my elbow
we dive
into the dark waters
where the black is as rich and vibrant as deep space
senses adjust to the input
and are assaulted
by a bioluminescent riot
of color and design

Viperfish weave past-
a baroque configuration
of offensive beauty
perfectly illustrating Nature's dark humor
A Hatchetfish glides in
its ghost eyes coming level with mine
I stare into these silver pools
to emerge
within the fossilized remains of an ancient Saurian

Architecture of the grandest scale-
each rib a brush stroke
the spine a suspension bridge I run across
Breathless
into the pelvis
a bone cradle I curl up into
and listen to the sounds of ancient tides
Restless
I walk the spine into the skull-
a cavernous cathedral
a sculpture supreme

The Muse advances
and I follow
out the mouth
through a fence work of daggers
out
to run reckless
falling
spinning
past and through creations
both natural and artificial
tumbling over
wooden clock gears
into cell mitosis
witnessing systems both sublime
and ridiculous
a dizzying array-
I blink back the tears
to stare back up
at the Muses perfect smiling face
Withdrawing now
my heart clutches at our parting-

I stand alone again
now inspired
to wander away dazed and return to my work

I begin again renewed
the Muses tour informing
my hands
and eyes
and heart

In this process
I honor the Muse in the most fitting way-
to create works of beauty
inspired by Life itself.

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