Last Week I learned that …

Last  week I learned that I will never know what ‘green gold’ I will find next. The ‘green gold as described in Stephen Natchmanovitch’s book Free play ; the power of improvisation in life and the arts.  ‘we take ordinary materials in our hands and turn them into new living matter – the green gold of the alchemist’

Last week I wrote a post on the history of a the candle and its making.  Little is known about its origins but I learned much about the social history and the economics of the different substances used. I had not previously understood the importance of this vital commodity especially in northern Europe where the winters are long and dark.
So while for me it was very illuminating (forgive the pun) the resulting post was a  tiny bit dull.  Especially in the light of the other posts on the particular forum; where the contributions are far more creative.
However, to get back to my point; here I am with my new found knowledge I read Pauline Stainer’s poem called Reading by snowlight in a recent edition of the Mslexia; for women who write;

I want to take the weight
out of language
the way snowfall
on the red planet
vaporizes before settling

outside,
everything is moccasined,
the ground suddenly consecrated
as if something else
is said

the air smokeless
the pure-white candles
from the juniper
wonderfully annoymous

nothing within earshot
except voices
gentling each other
along the page
like silver foxes

Queer, this effect
of snow on the psyche,
words waiting to happen,
the snowfields beyond
untranslatable.

Now, for me reading poems is a new phenomenon; some no matter how many times I read; go right over my head.  However, since discovering the intricacies of  metaphors and similes, there is an improvement. This with my previous knowledge of sperm-ness and smokelessness … I think I got it!