"Still Life"

Life can be like a coffee -jar
Or a wondrous golden vase;
Both surfaces created from the earth
By the will, hand and breath of a craftsman
Through fire tempered with water.
Infinite forms of utility and beauty, but
Individual dimensions finite, predestined;
Days written in the Book of Life.

When thieving circumstance steals content,
Or time drains away the essence of soul,
Nature abhors a vacuum: containers must contain.
Hunger fills that voluminous gap;
Whether appetite satiates on old bitters
Or tenders new savour, our choice alone.

Containers in position, still-life compositions
Placed together in juxtaposition, we see pattern
In the gaps between diverse shapes,
The irregular spaces of negative energy
Revealing beauty unknown when apart;
Each arrangement births its own pleasure.

When pleasurable pattern is not prolonged,
Marred too soon for facile understanding
By fate's removal of the focal point,
Acceptance of the change of loss
Is our choice to reclaim balance;
New touches bring fresh design from the chaotic,
Rearrangement by invitation restores beauty.


Kittie Carr