What Were You Thinking?

[HungLikeJesus]

I wrote this short, spontaneous poem in response to pictures that LabRat posted in the "Close Ups" thread. (The vine pictures are here.)

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

The traveler ascends to find the vines
entwined like mating snakes,
rapt in hard-wood trees embrace,
and when the cold clear sun does shine,
cast shadows on fair Mary's face,
and lights the intimate landscape of the risen world.

On one level, it's a relatively straight-forward description of the pictures, with the traveler (the photographer, referred to here as Mary) coming from the cave to the wooded area.

She mentioned that it was overcast, but the sun was shining in the pictures of the trees and vines.

"Intimate landscape " is a term (attributed to Eliot Porter) used to describe an outdoor scene without a significant view of the sky. According to Guy Tal:

To me an Intimate Landscape is one that falls between grand scenics, drawing their power from sheer enormity and majesty of a subject, and extreme close-ups, relying on magnification of a subject, evoking interest from the mere fact that these sights are not often possible with or apparent to the naked eye.

The pictures change from close-ups in the cave to these more mid-range shots, and from the darkness of the cave to the woods lit by natural sun light.


But the poem is also filled with religious references, including:
* The traveler is on a spiritual journey, beginning in the dark (cave) but is enlightened in the end.
* The intimate landscape and snakes = Garden of Eden
* Jesus on the cross (rapt in hard-wood trees embrace = hung like Jesus), is the traveler that ascends from the cave (i.e. is resurrected).

Other references:

rapt = wrapped, - the vines are wrapped around each other and around the trees.
Also rapt - Origin: 1350–1400; ME (ptp. of rapen to carry off, abduct, rape)
also, The Rapture is a prophesied event in Christian eschatology, in which Christians are instantly taken from the earth to be with Jesus.

The poem also incorporates most of this Medieval English poem (Pity for Mary):

Now goth sonne under wod:
Me reweth, Marye, thy faire rode.
Now goth sonne under tree:
Me reweth, Marye, thy sone and thee.

Where:
sonne = sun,
wod = wood = the cross,
reweth = pity,
rode = face, and
sone = son = Jesus