Northern Midnight


Not just holy-habited virgins and grey wolves
sing winter nights
under the northern lights
swinging pendulant melodic censers
over dark forested hill and vale

sometimes when the moon is full
scintillating the snow
is heard not just heart as it sings
and sighs
listening
for answering heart
answering eyes
to share the rising vapours in the cooling wood

sometimes is heard
wafting mistily through cascasding shade
of silver sorrow
softly pleading
cadenza by cello
troubadour of ancient continuum
themes from the finite
predicamant of eternal soul
sonorously ascending melodic curtains
of colour in phosphoric flame

then falling elegaic phrases
drop dead loved one's names
timbre tearing
down aurora borealis in flowing fugal
tapestries of red silver and greens

cello choirs by moonlight weep
in concert with virgins and wolves
streaming faces lifted from the rubble
of the world
in prayful offerings.


by C. Van Gorkom