aglow
the air is thick with gold and I breathe deeply coat my lungs in glory hear my name, speak His and every step is solid ground and wholly Holy the light has spoken— I must go and do what I must go and do one glance behind still the grove’s aglow and all the world spells hope
I wrote this poem about a year ago now, shortly after meeting the artist of the painting included above. We talked about poetry, art, and faith, the way each of those intersects with each other. Then we exchanged contact info and went our separate ways.
I took some time to look through her website, linked here, wrote a few poems in response to her art, and sent them her way. We exchanged a few more emails and had some wonderful, enriching discussions about our beliefs and our challenges. When my book, Signs and Wonders, was almsot put together, I reached out to her about this painting, asking if I could include it in the cover art, and she said I could. I owe my thanks to Julia Blake for letting me use her art on my book, and for creating something that helped me write a few more poems.
This poem is a direct response to something I saw in this painting. Latter-day Saints believe that in 1820, a prophet saw God in a vision of light as he prayed in a grove of trees. In this painting, the white clearing in the center gives the impression that this stand of trees is glowing, as if lighted from within. But we’re seeing this scene from the outside.
I couldn’t help but imagine this young prophet looking back and seeing light behind him, looking forward and seeing light and hope everywhere and in everything, everyone. I wished that I could see that light, feel that brightness, just breathe it in… and this is the poem that came from that.
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