Vespertine... an anthology

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Mike
Member Elite

since 1999-06-19

Posts 2462

0 posted 2001-04-29 05:23 PM

I.

Day and night
...in splendor blending,
As sun retreats
...'fore dark's descending,
Verdant valleys
...sink to night,
Beneath arrive
...of welkin's light,
Across the silent
...meadows creeping,
Comes the balm
...of evening's sleeping,
First gentle blush
...of vespertine,
Whispers out
...wil'st thou be mine,
Pulls man and beast,
...to heaven's breast,
As once again,
...day lays to rest.

II.

Speaking not in tongues of men,
...sing muses from on high,
Calling out to vespertine,
...to touch upon the sky.
Venus, herald of the night,
...unveils her sparkling hue,
As Jupiter unto the world,
...his glories does imbue.
Last vestige of Lord Helios,
...Light King of daytime's realm,
Cedes control to Luna's glow,
...Polaris at night's helm.
A million stars heed heaven's call,
...twilight their rush to arms,
While gentle beams of Pleiades,
...bestow their wond'rous charms.
Gentle blush of eventide,
...paint streaks of purple-grey,
As Orion leads his flocks,
...from thrust of day's foray.
Across the heaven's comets soar,
...beneath the watchful eyes,
Of Terpsichore and muses fair,
...transforming welkin skies.
Serenity of summer's night,
...sing Lyra's lullaby,
Splendor of a rising moon,
...in sky's transmorgrify.
Night from forth her chambers rises,
...above a rising mist,
Flows forth the tide of Milky Way,
...as earth by twilight kissed.

III.

Helios dies in sunset's glory;
...night descends upon the world,
Newborn stars illume the heavens,
...jewels of gods by night unfurled,
Seven Sisters seek Polaris,
...in calm of vespertine,
Whil'st Luna smiles upon her children,
...glowing opaltine,
Upon the earth, night's feral creatures,
...rise to heaven's light,
As setting sun and evening's wakening,
...herald welkin's night,
Upon the winds of eventide,
...adrift on heaven's floor,
A' sail upon new evening's sea,
...night's splendor evermore.

IV.

As first breath of evening,
...softly whispers to the sky,
Blooms majestic splendor,
...of night's garden from on high,
O'erhead the stars of welkin's light,
...shine in majesty,
Cathedral of the gods above,
...form heaven's canopy,
In the silence of the night,
...grandeur's grace upon,
Creatures of the earth below,
...from dusk til morning's dawn,
A moonlit sky, a summer's eve,
...in night none be reviled,
As nature worships Luna's glow,
...and soothes her creatures wild,
Night's benediction on earth bestowed,
...winds sing in harmony,
Amid the garden of the night,
...in heaven's symphony.
Upon the wings of eventide,
...unveiling of the night,
Retreating forces of the day,
...advent of welkin's light.

V.

Seven Sisters forth their slumber,
...seek out the Milky Way,
To sail upon the winds of time,
...a calm on land does lay.
Bejeweled the night o'er earth below,
...as of it's glory renders,
While vespers of a setting sun,
...foretell of evening's splendors.

VI.

Vespers of a setting sun,
...as calm on land befalls,
Quiets bustle of the day,
...a loon to darkness calls,
Evening paints a sunset,
...across sky's western face,
I soar above on winds of time,
...on wings of feathered grace,
With the birthing of the night,
...the sky erupts ablaze,
A million twinkling stars above,
...hearken heaven's praise,
Reflected on the plains below,
...the glow of moon's first light,
Unfettered wings of angel's grace,
...I soar into the night,
Past the starry sentinels,
...Orion's muted cry,
Luna's orb in majesty,
...across night's cloudless sky.
Solemn silence cloaks the night,
...nature in repose,
Evening's breeze in noiseless hush,
...upon the earth bestows,
Eternal benediction,
...as man and beast are one,
Immortal absolution,
...as final day is done.

VII.

On needled path, mid dark and quiet dell,
Walking gently as upon night's darkness fell,
The evening breeze rose, whispering, chanting through the trees,
Through shimmering pines, in muted repartees,
As light of heaven's stars fell upon life's isolation,
Reflections of loneliness, of silent desolation.
Into the brush a rabbit steals, moving thither,
Under cover, as darkness calls me hither,
Crossing through the gates temarious,
Walking swiftly into the night precarious.

VIII.

As sunlight fades and mothers call,
...to children on the lawn,
Evening's hush falls on the land,
...another day is gone.
First cooling breath of eventide,
...whispers to the night,
Awaken from your daytime slumber,
...illume now welkin's light.
Luna blooms in evening's glory,
...Venus ope's her eyes,
Orion starts his stately watch,
...as guardian of the skies.
Children to their dreams delivered,
...on wings of heaven's glow,
As comes the night at day's demise,
...to earth, her grace bestow.
Soft hush of evening deepens into night,
...cool breeze from forth the east,
Mother earth holds unto her bosom tight,
...her children; man and beast,
As quiets bustle of the day now done,
...from afar a nightingale,
Crystal notes; vespers for a setting sun,
...song unto the gods regale,
Nature calls unto her creatures wild,
...rest my children, heed my call,
For in the calm of night, none be reviled,
...as peace on land doth fall.

Hush my children, your heads on pillow lay,
...hush my children, day is done,
In the silence of the night, await tomorrow's day,
...hush my children, day is done.

[This message has been edited by Mike (edited 04-30-2001).]

Joyce Johnson

Member Rara Avis

since 2001-03-10

Posts 9912
Washington State

1 posted 2001-04-29 05:28 PM

What can I say? This is an indescribably beautiful piece. One question? I can't find welkin in my dictionary. Joyce

Marge Tindal

Member Empyrean

since 1999-11-06

Posts 42384
Florida's Foreverly Shores

2 posted 2001-04-29 06:10 PM

Mike~
You KNOW this is the most beautiful piece.
And thank you for sprinkling those welkin skies in it ...

I enjoyed each piece that could stand alone
for their beauty ... but found this one irrestible ~

'V.

Seven Sisters forth their slumber,
...seek out the Milky Way,
To sail upon the winds of time,
...a calm on land does lay.
Bejeweled the night o'er earth below,
...as of it's glory renders,
While vespers of a setting sun,
...foretell of evening's splendors.'

Just sooooooo lovely.
*Hugs*
~*Marge*~

*For Joyce
wel·kin (wlkn)
n. The vault of heaven, the sky.
The upper air.

welkin n : the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~
noles1@totcon.com

Martie

Moderator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-09-21

Posts 28049
California

3 posted 2001-04-30 12:57 PM

Mike--I must go look at the sky, see if I can see this beauty you describe, but I think it may be your words that are the beauty.

Janet Marie
Member Laureate

since 2000-01-22

Posts 18554

4 posted 2001-04-30 02:31 AM

As first breath of evening,
...softly whispers to the sky,
Blooms majestic splendor,
...of night's garden from on high,
O'erhead the stars of welkin's light,
...shine in majesty,
Cathedral of the gods above,
...form heaven's canopy,
In the silence of the night,
...grandeur's grace upon,
Creatures of the earth below,
...from dusk til morning's dawn,
A moonlit sky, a summer's eve,
...in night none be reviled,
As nature worships Luna's glow,
...and soothes her creatures wild,
Night's benediction on earth bestowed,
...winds sing in harmony,
Amid the garden of the night,
...in heaven's symphony.
Upon the wings of eventide,
...unveiling of the night,
Retreating forces of the day,
...advent of welkin's light.
================================

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
The imagery in this collection is astonishing...as is the vocabulary and the cadence....
OUTSTANDING writing Mike....
this needs to be illustrated and published.
This also needs to be in my library for many future re-reads to see all its beauty.
very very well done...as always.

There are two lasting bequests
that we can hope to instill in our children
one is roots ...
the other ... wings.

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

5 posted 2001-04-30 07:28 AM

"Day is done - 'Tis Vespertine"... This is wonderful, my friend... Of course, I expect nothing less from you....

Butterflies_dont_cry
Member Elite

since 2000-03-06

Posts 3733
Michigan

6 posted 2001-04-30 10:16 PM

Mike~
This will be printed and read again and
again I assure you...such peace is found
within your writing...perfect for a summer
night to curl up on the porch with. Such
beautiful imagery you weave...I would be
full of envy if it were not for the sincere
admiration that I have for your talent and
you poetry...simply put...this is amazing
writing and I'm very lucky to have the
chance to read it...thank you for sharing
this Mike...Bravo~

Masked Intruder

Moderator

Senior Member

since 1999-05-23

Posts 1231
Near golden sunsets

7 posted 2001-05-01 10:13 AM

This is truly amazing, Mike. I can't believe I just read that. You've created one of my favorite all time pieces. Bravo Bravo Bravo!

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

8 posted 2001-05-01 10:14 AM

Why does this seem so familiar....it is absolutely lovely, and haunting...

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