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Hazel Hall

Skyscape

celestial light
if I join the gods
will I be welcome

I sit before the shiva lingam listening to heaven and earth merging. Opposite me is a young couple. The man wears a white kurta; his wife discreet in an indigo silk sari. We exchange namaste and smile acknowledgment. For a moment, high above in the firmament, I glimpse the lobelia-blue of Lord Shiva’s face.

a soft strum
Sarasvathi's veena
scarcely heard

The earth’s veins are etched in marble. One day my arteries will be as quiet. I glance at my companions, eyes closed, faces filled with bliss. So much I must learn. Silence steals the sounds outside. We sit between earth and sky.

within without
I become familiar
with my other self

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Notes:

Skyscape: a meditative space designed so that one can see the changing sky.
Shiva lingam: a sacred icon representing the Hindu god Shiva, an image of generative cosmic power.

Sarasvathi: the Hindu goddess of learning.

Veena: a traditional South Indian stringed instrument.

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About the Author

Hazel Hall is a well-published Australian poet, musicologist, and lifelong learner who loves collaborating with other artists. Her latest collections are Step by Step (Picaro Poets 2019), Moonlight Over the Siding (Interactive Press 2019), and Severed Web  (Picaro Poets 2020). Her sonnet collection A Hint of Rosemary is forthcoming.