erhaps you've seen one, too? A blindingly brilliant smile from a stranger that hits you with all the wattage of a lightning bolt and, most curiously, both roots you to the ground as it spins you around counterclockwise! I write this and I think of Natalie Cole singing her cover of "Orange Colored Sky on"Unforgettable" ... and, yes, such a smile is unforgettable.
I had been wondering what would be 'Melissa's' first glimpse of her 'Dark Man's' face and I love that it happens this way. All her previous glimpses have been enigmatic, incomplete and, to an extent, suffused with pain. (Remember his bloody shoulders?) Well, now she sees his smiling face and evidence of the depth of his feelings for her as she realizes he's written poetry about her, his Muse.
This is a significant development in 'Melissa's' story for another reason. I've written previously about the connection to timelessness, to depth of vision, to universal love and truth that comes to those who sincerely practice art. What we are seeing with this development is that in his sincere practice of poetry the 'Dark Man' finds reason to smile at and about his Muse. That is not to be taken lightly.
The book of poetry is, like the poet himself, enigmatic. I am intrigued. "Sonnets to Ophelia" and Renaissance dress? What will we learn about 'Melissa' from these hints?
Perhaps more intriguing is the setting for the dream and the activity we see - princesses drinking tea from their slippers as part of a performance. "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" was one of my favorite fairy tales as a child so I will enjoy watching how it unfolds in the context of 'Melissa's' story.
One part of the dream, its location, matches my life experience. Years ago I lived in Williamsburg, VA and on a number of occasions I visited the National Park at Jamestown, along the James River. There is a centuries-old chapel on the site and from a certain perspective one can stand inside knowing the river flows past off to the right. For some reason this past Easter season I was particularly touched whenever our cantor, Samuel, would sing that verse, "I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple." I was quite happy to realize it would be a lovely part of 'Melissa's' dream.
She has presumed to pull herself away from the people and situations that once left her "formulated, sprawling on a pin ... pinned and wriggling on the wall." (T. S. Eliot, "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock") Now she has the 'Dark Man's' smile to light her way, and some enchanting stories appearing in her dreams. Wonder is blossoming in her life. I wonder what will happen next.
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