Sunday, May 06, 2007

Time stands still

We've often heard that expression, used particularly about key moments in the experience of a love affair, about the impact of a kiss. It has become devalued through overuse, an easy cliché.

It is a commonplace phrase, but an extremely uncommon phenomenon. I had begun to doubt whether it ever existed at all, whether it was not just another fanciful poetic fiction. But then it happened to me. With The Poet. I think it probably happened with previous great love, The Evil One, as well, although that is a little long ago to remember clearly now.

That feeling, one of the strangest and most intense I've ever known, inspired me to write this little thing - an attempt to redeem the 'stopped time' image from clichéhood. (By coincidence, The Poet later revealed to me that she was fascinated with the scientific concept of the 'singularity', and was playing with some ideas for including it in a poem of her own. She has never told me if she did or not.)




Singularity

Time's arrow
Loses its point
Is stilled in mid-air
And all the material clutter of the Universe
Recedes to irrelevant elsewhere

The moment extends
In all directions, everywhere

No past, no future, no self:
The kiss is everything
Infinity

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