Also, a Kaleidoscope

A poem in blank verse

Picture of the view through our kaleidoscope

“For poetry too is a little incarnation, giving body to what had been before invisible and inaudible.”

C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms

Also, a Kaleidoscope¹

                          ...Among other things,
It is the sheer opalescent robe that 
Language slips on after a long day's work.
After she comes home and slowly unties 
Her heavy boots, caked with the mud of life; 
After she has pulls off her belt, her gloves, 
Her helmet, her mask; after buttons are 
Undone, after she unzips, unfastens 
Her uniform, ripped and stained, patched and frayed - 
After all this has fallen off - now in

Silence 
-- 
quiet 
--
her toes 
slowly 
Step out of the pile - free, unburdened, bare 
Of her heavy working wear - over her 
Goosepimpled skin she slips the thin pale gown,
Kaleidoscopic fabric woven of 
Light on the sea and stars caught and white smoke, 
Trembling as it curls, of something something 
More than bone in muscle in skin in robe - 
Something something something more... 

She moves - and there!  a sudden shimmering; 
She steps - a flash! A burst of lightening - 
Dazzling, dizzying irridescence- 
Light and images - spin - spinning - shifting 
Forms and shapes - shining brilliance - dark and 
Depth - bright beauty bursting - colors seething - 
Mind reeling- blinding - blinded - yet seeing -
Seeing - what? - something something just beyond

- 

All this in such a thin cover of words.

A pair of my grandmother's opal earrings - because I used the word “opalescent”

1. Origin and history of kaleidoscope

kaleidoscope(n.)

"optical instrument creating and exhibiting, by reflection, a variety of beautiful colors and symmetrical forms," 1817, literally "observer of beautiful forms," coined by its inventor, Scottish scientist David Brewster (1781-1868), from Greek kalos "beautiful, beauteous" (see Callisto) + eidos "shape" (see -oid) + -scope, on model of telescope, etc.

From https://www.etymonline.com/word/kaleidoscope