WINDSDAY WONDERS
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell
(@RHCLambengolmo)
Editorial Associate: S. A. Sonnenschein
Vol. 3, No. 24: April 10, 2024
Celebrating National Poetry Month
Episode #2: Post Tenebras, Lux
Editor’s Note
This week, we
continue our celebration of National Poetry with a garland of verses clustered
around the theme of “Post tenebras, lux” – “After darkness, light.” The cold darkness
of winter is replaced by the warm light of springtime, and the night always
gives way to the dawn. In April, the daylight hours increase along with the
average daily temperatures, and we rejoice in the full flowering of spring.
Things are born from their opposites, as Plato would remind us, and the Circle
of Life moves us all. 😊
“A Calendar of Sonnets: April”
By Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885)
No days such honored days as these! While yet
Fair Aphrodite reigned, men seeking wide
For some fair thing which should forever bide
On earth, her beauteous memory to set
In fitting frame that no age could forget,
Her name in lovely April's name did hide,
And leave it there, eternally allied
To all the fairest flowers Spring did beget.
And when fair Aphrodite passed from earth,
Her shrines forgotten and her feasts of mirth,
A holier symbol still in seal and sign,
Sweet April took, of kingdom most divine,
When Christ ascended, in the time of birth
Of spring anemones, in Palestine.
“My Familiar Spirits”
By Noelle Andreae, Staff Writer
The Sun's bright rays of light
Illuminate the sky;
The air is clear and free,
A fresh breeze in the air.
The birds are chirping and singing,
Their melodious sounds echo all through my soul.
The flowers exude sweet scents
That bring joy to my heart.
Everything seems so alive,
The landscape so beautiful.
I am filled with serenity,
My familiar spirits keeping me company.
“In the Darkness of the Night”
By Rodrika Capellana, Staff Writer
In the darkness of the night,
A weary traveler's thoughts and hopes arise:
Though his path has led him through an unknown maze,
Hope keeps his heart alive.
The journey may have brought him wear,
Yet in his heart he carries no fear;
For with each breath, a sense of wonder comes near,
Amid the silent, night-time gloom.
A sense of freedom fills the air,
Like an invisible presence always there;
The unknown turns mysterious,
As the traveler ventures forth.
The sense of uncertainty fills his soul,
As the journey continues onward;
Though the darkness covers the path ahead,
The thought of joy brings solace to his weary head.
And though no one knows where this journey will end,
What matters is the feeling of peace within;
The path may be tough,
Yet the journey gives the traveler strength and courage;
As hope keeps his heart alive,
In the darkness of the night.
The Great American Eclipse of 2024 was observed by
millions of people in North America on Monday, April 8th. (Image
Credit: Digital artwork created by the Editor.)
“The Moon Embraces the Sun”
By Robyn Hope Cassidy, Staff Writer
I'm looking at the heavens' wonder,
as the Moon embraces the sun.
At first, the sky is dim
as if the night has come.
The Sun is shrouded by the Moon;
its beauty is concealed.
The darkness deepens like a veil
on this stunning cosmic tableau.
And then I feel the temperature drop,
as if a cool embrace from above.
I look up at the sky in awe
at this astonishing display.
The Moon completely covers the Sun;
its shadow has engulfed the day.
For a brief instant, the sky has turned black,
obscuring the Sun's bright rays.
The clouds are awash in a deep crimson,
as if the sky itself were ablaze.
The eclipse is almost complete
in this stunning cosmic scene.
It seems like night has fallen
as the Moon casts its shadow.
The sky's blue hue is now crimson
with the Sun almost eclipsed.
A sense of anticipation lingers
as the moment of totality nears.
The sky's azure is now crimson
as the Sun is almost eclipsed.
The world appears in a strange hue
in the shadow of the Moon's embrace.
The temperature drops lower,
making the landscape chilly and still.
The birds are silent as if transfixed
by the wonder of this celestial dance.
"The moment of totality
is almost upon us all.
The world is about to plunge
into a night-like oblivion.
The birds have stopped their singing,
as if sensing something ahead.
The sky's crimson hue deepens,
concealing the Sun's bright glow.
The air becomes still with anticipation.
The total eclipse is finally upon us,
as the Moon completely eclipses the Sun.
Its shadow falls over the world,
making the landscape into night.
The sky is now a dark crimson hue,
concealing the Sun's bright rays.
The Earth is shrouded in shadow;
the horizon is nearly black.
Even though I am in the dark,
a sense of peace and wonder fills me.
The Moon's shadow has completely blocked the Sun;
its light no longer permeates the skies.
The world appears as if it's nighttime,
with the landscape now shadowy and dim.
The temperature has dropped even lower;
the breeze is chilled and crisp.
The birds remain silent,
as if the quietness has transfixed them.
My senses are on fire
with the wonder of this astronomical sight.
The darkness of the total eclipse is profound;
its beauty is almost indescribable.
The air is chilly and still,
as if the Sun's heat has vanished.
The Moon's shadow has engulfed the world,
and the sky's crimson hue glows.
Its light shines through the clouds,
giving off a reddish-pink haze.
The world is silent and transfixed;
the birds remain mute with awe.
As I stand there, transfixed,
I can only watch and gaze.
The silence is deep and still
as I behold the cosmic spectacle.
The world has turned into night,
veiled by the Moon’s shadow.
The crimson hue of the sky
illuminates everything with its light.
The birds are silent with awe,
and the breeze is cool yet warm.
The temperature feels almost freezing
yet somehow inviting and sublime.
The minutes pass by quickly
as I observe the heavenly spectacle.
The Moon's shadow completely covers the Sun,
making the sky appear like night.
The crimson hue of the sky
gives off a gorgeous reddish glow.
The clouds add to the majesty
of this incredible astronomical event.
Nature is silenced in awe
as we bask in the beauty of this eclipse.
The minutes pass by faster now
as the eclipse draws closer to its end.
The sky is now draped in crimson,
with the crimson red hue almost blinding.
The Moon's shadow has nearly moved past the Sun,
uncovering its light once again.
It is a surreal experience
to stand and watch the eclipse in its totality.
The sky's crimson hue dims
as the Sun is slowly revealed again.
As the eclipse draws to an end,
I bask in the wonder of its astronomical beauty.
The crimson glow of the sky
has dimmed somewhat,
Revealing the Sun once again.
The clouds, once crimson,
are now a light pink hue.
The birds return to life
as the silence is broken once more.
As the eclipse comes to its end,
the Sun begins to peek through
the shadows of the Moon once more.
The crimson sky is now a light pink
as the clouds begin to shed
their crimson hue.
The birds have returned to life
and to their singing,
and it reminds me of nature’s resilience,
how it endures despite
the trials and tribulations of life.
As the eclipse reaches its crescendo,
the sky’s crimson shade vanishes
leaving only the Sun's radiance.
“The Weight of the Rose”
By Jannica Gladstone, Staff Writer
The weight of a rose
Is a matter of perspective;
A man from Spain may see the same thorny stalk
As holding flowers of exquisite grace.
A rose of sadness and a rose of joy;
Each will grow the same thorny stalk
With flowers, all the same;
Yet viewed through a different lens
One is seen through a lens of woe
The other through a lens of joy.
A rose that brings despair;
And another with which to play;
A rose of torment
And a rose of ease;
Perspective matters, it does say.
For flowers may look the same,
The difference lies in our gaze.
Perspective changes everything;
The weight of a rose is all about
How we look at it, what it means to us;
What our minds believe.
We must not be so harsh on ourselves:
Let us not condemn ourselves in sorrow;
It is the way of our perception,
Which determines the weight that a rose carries.
Perspective's everything;
What we perceive is true;
What is dark and gloomy to one
Is bright and lovely to another;
It's all about the mind; it's about
Understanding that no two flowers are
The same, but instead we're merely
Viewing it though a lens of joy
Or one of a more somber hue.
Perspective is key,
In the weight of a rose.
The Sun rises over some blue roses in a garden. The
blue rose was the defining symbol of German Romanticism in the early 19th
century, inspired by its use as a Leitmotif in Novalis’ classical novel, Heinrich
von Ofterdingen. (Image Credit: Digital artwork created by the Editor.)
“When the Sun and Moon Collide””
By Aurora Kemp, Staff Writer
I saw the eclipse,
The light that day began to wane.
The clouds crept in,
And a darkness began to reign.
The Sun was obscured,
By the Moon slowly and steadily encroaching.
The sky turned a murky gray,
And the world grew darker and dimmer.
The birds stopped chirping,
As the world went eerily silent.
The shadows were elongated,
And the light grew slowly dim.
Things seemed so still;
With the gloom spreading all around,
People began to turn their eyes
Up into the sky with awe and wonder.
They gazed up,
With their faces turned up to the sky.
The sky darkened,
As the Moon began to rise,
Awed by the eclipse,
The people were transfixed.
The Moon continued its slow ascent,
Blotting out the Sun,
Blocking the daylight,
And causing a coolness to reign.
The Moon had made it its goal,
To block out the Sun completely;
People were silent, stunned,
They were held captive by the Moon.
The eclipse is beautiful,
But also haunting and eerie;
It is like a moment of suspended time itself,
When the Sun and Moon collide.
The sky grew pitch-black,
With the Moon covering the Sun completely;
The temperature dropped dramatically,
And a crisp and chilly air filled the sky.
The Sun was soon completely obscured,
As the eclipse hit its peak.
The total eclipse was in full effect,
With the Moon completely covering the Sun.
The Moon then became crimson and red,
Casting a spooky appearance all around.
Everything was still and silent,
As the Moon began to slowly move away,
Unveiling the Sun once again,
And the eclipse became a thing of the past.
The Sun re-emerged,
And the sky lightened once again,
The temperature began to rise,
And a sense of normalcy returned.
The people were in awe,
At what the sky had just shown them,
The Sun and Moon dancing a fiery dance,
Their embrace causing a beautiful eclipse.
The sky had returned to its normal state,
And the Sun was back in the sky again;
The birds began to chirp,
Their voices filling the air once again.
The sky was now blue,
And the Sun was back in full effect;
The eclipse was over,
But it is something nobody will ever forget.
There was still one thing left to discover,
As the eclipse came to the end of its course,
And the Sun re-emerged once again;
A beautiful ring of diamonds,
Dusting the sky, glints of light dancing around,
The gorgeous Corona was upon us — we were left
In awestruck and breathless reverence.
“Morning Glow and Evening Shade”
By Ninianne Trouvere, Staff Writer
Morning glow and evening shade,
Bright light and dark embrace;
A cycle of day and night,
The seasons of life in harmony;
A beauty of balance and joy;
Let us cherish the moment and rejoice.
Orphic Hymn #42: “To the Seasons”
Translated by Thomas Taylor (1758-1835)
Daughters
of Jove and Themis, Seasons bright,
Justice,
and blessed peace, and lawful right,
Vernal
and grassy, vivid, holy powers,
Whose
balmy breath exhales in lovely flowers;
All-colored
Seasons, rich increase your care,
Circling
forever, flourishing and fair:
Invested
with a veil of shining dew,
A
flowery veil delightful to the view:
Attending
Proserpine, when back from night,
The
Fates and Graces lead her up to light;
When in
a band harmonious they advance,
And
joyful round her form the solemn dance:
With
Ceres triumphing, and Jove divine,
Propitious
come, and on our incense shine;
Give
Earth a blameless store of fruits to bear,
And make
a novel mystic’s life your care.
Weekly Words of Wisdom
Contributed by Skyla Sonnenschein, Editorial Associate
“Those
objects that are coming into being must necessarily be from objects that exist,
and they must also be the contrary of those from which they come into being.” à Plato: Parmenides
137c
Stoic Proverb of the Week
From an Anonymous Contributor
"We
suffer more often in imagination than in reality."
à Seneca: Epistles
22.28
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