Tuesday, March 1, 2011

And there was darkness....




A few moments of absolute darkness..Waiting with hope that “ there will be light “ in a few minutes..Then groping for the candles and matchbox in various drawers,uncertain where they might be ..Nothing to do – minutes turn into hours..frantic calls to the power company – They say it’ll be a while before the power comes back on..I sit in the darkness of my living room,and stare at the flickering light of the candle-Something in that light conveys a soothing ,warm sensation through my eyes into my whole body..Yes,I feel relaxed…There’s nothing to do, and there is a sense of relaxation connected with that vacuum created by the sudden power failure.. It’s amazing how the slow,sensual dance of a flame transports you to a world of relaxation and new perspective , and eventually you fall in love with the darkness..

I look at the little knickknacks in my organized living room in a “ different light “ – Like so many great painters I have heard or read of, I analyzed those “ still “ objects in that faint illumination…..
I can actually listen to the clock ticking,and I love the tick-tock sound..Reminds me of the grandfather clock in my grandparent’s home ..The sound and that memory creates a gradual cooling sensation in my mind,like the menthol does to your throat…

Who would have thought that a power failure would be a blessing in disguise ? A welcome change, a spa hour for your brain,for your mind..Although I worried about the stuff in my refrigerator,that slender mass of wax did some magic..I even wanted to read a book in that candle light.. 

What did that flame teach me ? That you can be soft and still spread warmth,light and happiness, that in softness lies the power to make people around you feel at ease…that there will be some people who would appreciate the shadow you cast around you and the soft glow of your radiant aura ..

As I stared at the slow dancing  flame, I felt all this while I had been so distracted from my inner thoughts…I was thinking but not thinking at all.. there was so much going on around me..so many things exciting my different senses,so many tempest in my teapot…that I wasn’t concentrating really on anything.. Tonight, with this sudden darkness that has befallen me, I could rewind and refresh,even for a little while..I could listen to the raindrops outside..I could fall harder in love  with Rabindranath’s words in this subtle atmosphere…I needed this shadow,this silence and the music created by their union…I have always loved nighttime..I have always loved darkness…but not like this…not like tonight ~ ~