– or maybe gender-neutral. Anyway,
they appear as whichever gender
we need them to be, at any time.
Take Archangel Chamuel here,
in this channelled painting
by Shavarnia, now on my wall.
This is the angel of pure love.
Gaze into the gentle face,
the wise and tender eyes,
and there you find Mother,
when you need mother-loving:
that warmth and tenderness.
Look in those eyes again
to see them calm and strong.
Now he’s elder brother,
guardian. The massive wings
deep with softness, firm with strength,
may enfold you as cradle or armour.
‘Gender’ is invisible; there’s no
specific core detail; only outward signs.
Pure love is not limited.
NaPoWriMo 2025, Day Twenty-Seven.
We were asked to write about a detail in a picture, and to begin with a broad declarative statement. Obviously, my statement is the title. But the particular detail I focus on, I finally declare non-existent.
Love’s true essence transcends form. Your beautiful poem feels like a necessary rebellion against the world. A gentle balm for the spirit.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I like that you see it that way.
DeleteWe do see the attributes we are seeking - affection or strength or nurturing...I ended up staring at that picture for a long time...and it does morph, once you believe it does!
ReplyDeleteIt's even more so with the original, which is quite large. And even more arresting when, living with it, one is not staring fixedly at it, but just catching sight of it in passing at various times and seeing it, spontaneously, as sometimes one and sometimes the other.
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