Magician of Light and Words – A Poem by Kimberlee Sweeney-Rettberg

This poem was written for me by Kimberlee, my Writing Sister. I’ve read it ten times and will read it many more. She wrote it for me and about me, the first time anyone has ever written me a poem!

I’m honoured beyond words, WS. I can’t thank you enough. Kimberlee said I could share it; I wanted you all to see how gorgeous it was.

So without further ado, I present to you:

 

The Magician of Light and Words

 

In spite of a spilling helix of stars

And the rattling maraca’s of meteor-fire–

In spite of the breathlessness

Of  trumpeting tiger lilies in the garden

(always the first to announce a portent,

Incapable, as they are, of secret-keeping)

The small piercing glow of a lovely new Light

Passed quite unnoticed by most.

 

Yet, those who received this soul auspicious

Far from nourishing, had fed mainly pains;

A family: an infrastructure

Tottering on rotten legs, twisted and cruel

Bade him: Be silent-!

Swear the oaths a child should never

Never have to carry in heart.

 

But that Light budding inside his soul

Wide and mysterious as a flung-open galaxy

Growing larger, brighter, higher—

And like all Cinderella’s and secret genies

The bottle that trapped him smashed-!

 

He’d found one day, like a treasure map

With its “X” marking booty: the world behind Worlds

The great gold beacon of books and words-!

Books: ornate skeleton keys that flipped old tumblers

Tickets, invitations where one is never turned away

But words themselves the chest beneath the X! 

 

‘Words: worlds’! he said.  ‘What a power I have!’

Indeed, invocations of arcane magicians

The scrawled names of gods, demons, angels:

One word out of place

And the spell falls to impotence–

The Latin prayer faltering upon god’s very altar.

The novel of novels made and undone.

 

‘Ah, you who hurt me: I leave you far, far behind

Further than Saturn’s rusty rings

Stories and magic I shall create’,

The young man smiled.

 

Free, at one to found that kingdom:

Our Magician, unselfish with his rising visions

Shines gem- facets of fire, inviting Light upon our Light

He is our Storyteller, our Poet, our Seer.