"A Vision," a poem by Marcelo Ares

A Vision

Shadows fell from the trees and the dew-spotted carnations

stooped along the hedge-rows as if longing for the support of the gentle breeze...

the little birds, warbling on the sun-beamed branches livened up the scene...

I stood still. My thoughts pulsating on my temples and with trembling hands

I lifted up the latch. I gazed and gazed and the verdure of the turf glowed underneath

the fleeting clouds.

A proud wren, of slender bill and rounded wings trilled my name

The murmur of the rivulet stilled my thoughts;

I paced along the stream, my voice rehearsing an unhappy tune

the grove, adorned by a row of elms, suddenly darkened.

Was it an ill omen?

At a distance I saw a hapless alder dappled by shadows

that fell from the clouds in the sky which, in turn, spun its full attire

He saw me not,  as I paced past him and along the stream;

Was it an ill omen?

I knew not what I sought but as I paced along the foot-way path,

I wondered: Why should we ponder on such stuff as is produced by 

cunning Fancy when all the rest is wasted?

Why should we bother?

As I kept thinking upon these matters...

I caught a glimpse of an old farm house that lay on the left side of the

foot-way path. It would have grieved your very soul to see it:

Its walls bespake the relentless passing of the years, 

the honey-suckle had gnawed the brick walls,

tufts of weed defaced the hardened soil.

A small linnet warbled and trilled and the lofty elms cast a long shadow

upon the sod,

the image of the bleak house ripples in one's mind like the waters of a pond

somber and strange

images produced by that organ of fancy the Estagirite had spoken of,

Phantasia...

The soul is, as wise Aristotle put it, ousía, eidos and entelékheia...

Ousía is that which is predicated of a subject;

the soul in this sense, is substance or identity

Eidos is the set of functions that corresponds 

to a natural entity;

And entelékheia defines its vital activity.

Empedocles says "For 'tis in respect of what is present that man's wit is increased",

referring to sensation,

Homer's phrase "For suchlike is man's mind" means the same.

Imagining lies within our own power whenever we wish

for example we can call up the picture of the azure sky

dappled by battleship-grey clouds

or the veiled moon under the gloomy vault of the heavens...

When these are not with us;

And then is soothing tranquility recall 

these things. When the vision closes

the mind is left to ponder upon

this solemn scene.

Marcelo Ares: aresmarcelo@yahoo.com