Night Painting
William Du
Night Painting
by William Du
Night never sleeps, but it can hide.
Long have I dreamt of you in shades
of olivine, deep in a grave,
your face bound in vague question.
Leave it to the daylight outside,
A single thread of sacred light encircling
the world, shedding a luminous rain
on the heart of a colt charging
through the soundless woods like
they were never there.
A shadow passes over the moon,
All that remains is the lantern’s spit,
and I imagine you in a patch of trees,
burning down bright branches of cherries
and elderberries, chopping a rabbit’s
heart into dust.
"You will be empty of giants, lovers,// And I will follow the way those exotic birds tread..."
You will be empty of giants, lovers,
And I will follow the way those exotic birds tread,
the way a caged canary sings for the
red sky and a moon as if lit from the inside.
Warm, resonant and ink-tuned—
now the spirit water sweeps me,
I leave you my clothes, the redbud,
the dogwood, that water strung the griddle.
Will you turn and make a circle?
Or will my song bark you up,
in a way that even now I cannot describe:
all I know is that one day, I will be found
there in the red & black unmetered time
of my body, my arms will float
in the hot water, my hair fanning
as I descend grains of clay heavy enough to
drag my eyes out of the blue-grey,
ocean-breath, towards heaven.
About the Writer...
William Du is a current junior at Delbarton School. His intention with his writing is to bring light and beauty into the lives of those who consume it and provide comfort in difficult times. His works have appeared in the Eunoia Review, the Weight Journal, and Teen Ink Magazine. In addition to writing, William enjoys reading classic literature, playing piano, and writing satire.
About the Artist...
Kenzie Kurdys is a senior in high school currently pursuing the development of her own artistic style.