The Diamond Ring Effect
I poked a hole when I was younger
in the shiniest film, the box the blinder –
It is safe, they said, through pinprick,
to project an image, just turn
your back to the Source,
Plato’s Cave in real time.
And when the corona comes,
resist the urge to face it.
You must spare yourself
the consequence of satisfaction.
You must not make eye contact
with a thing that could burn you alive.
8 thoughts on "The Diamond Ring Effect"
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Takes me back. I remember the wonder and the cautionary advice from the elders. And this reference lasts, unfolds ito a poem in a poem.
“Plato’s Cave in real time.”
Brilliant poem, Arwen! That last line gave me chills.
What Kevin said!
Arwen, I agree with Coleman, Kevin, and Joseph. Great poem.
AND, I am curious about the title and its relationship to an image and avoidance of that “thing that could burn you alive.”
My mind equates a diamond ring with marriage and I’m making connections there. If you feel like revealing some of the magic behind the muse, I’m very interested what connections you were exploring.
Well I will tell you what happened – I had the idea to write a poem about the eclipse and thought of what they call the diamond ring effect and how I had looked at it last time. I wanted to write about that experience because it was incredible and dangerous. But once I got everything down (at which point the title was “eclipse”) I realized the projecting an image and turning your back to the source and the diamond ring might be trying to tell a story at the same time so I did my best to let them lol which is how the title was changed, so it could allude, just as you suspected (thanks for commenting – I’d wondered if it came through)
You really know how to write a short poem that really packs a punch. That last line!
Brilliant piece. I love “Plato’s Cave in real time.” Shew!
You must spare yourself
the consequence of satisfaction.
You must not make eye contact
with a thing that could burn you alive.
Very transparent lines, Arwen. Strangely, I relate to this.