Coniunctio
a poem: the body knows truths the mind can only dream
Ebauche abstraite, Gustave Moreau
I I went I went walking I went walking absent I went walking the nowhere I went liminal drifting I went in oud I went I Absorbed ambulation Swimming footstep ripplation Through arid scented time creation Treading in bark lacerations Myrrh dancing exudations Incantations Ubi est odor Ibi est anima Aminus Grassy smoky grounding Vetiver oil reciting Intoxicating Throat utterations Guttural transformations He and She Earth and Sea Rugged leather anchoring Ambergris purifying Expressive viscerations Forming Vital source possession Animalic emanation Individuation Harmonization I I went I went walking I went walking return I went walking departured I went dominion drifting I am kinesthetic Chypre I —sylvia
KEY:
Coniunctio — Latin; [alchemy] to the union of two opposing principles or elements
Coniunctio — Latin; Jungian [from alchemy] the union of the conscious and unconscious, or the integration of opposing psychological forces within an individual
Ubi est odor, ibi est anima — Latin; Where there is scent, there is soul
anima — Latin; soul, breath, life force (masculine)
animus — Latin; mind, spirit, courage (feminine)
Chypre — French; [the island of Cyprus] perfume blend of citrus, floral, and oakmoss uniting of feminine & masculine
Chypre — [in the context of Coniunctio, the poem] a symbol of the journey, a distillation of experience, a representation of union, and a lingering sensory reminder of the exploration of self-discovery and connection
I appreciate the tight rhythm here, and the way you work the Latin into these cadences. I felt the walking movement as I read. Lovely, Sylvia. 😊👏
I also appreciate your key. I know so little Latin. The layering of meaning, the sound production, your delivery—stunning!