THE SKYLIGHT by Ruth Calder Murphy

Is it only me, who feels this way?

That if I look up, at the right moment, in the right way, I’ll catch sight of Eternity - of “Beyond the Veil, of another place - touchably near to our mortal world, and yet so often, for now, unreachable…

I think not; I think many of us feel this, and recognize, too, that meditation, ritual, religion, art, poetry, nature can open (albeit only by a chink) that portal, or skylight - enough for us to make sure that it’s there, real and wonderful - and that one day, we’ll pass beyond this limited sphere into the Great Beyond where, perhaps, our loved ones are already and we’ll begin to understand…

The skylight in the ceiling of my soul is like that dark glass in the New Testament letter, through which I see Divinity, Eternity, Everything. Sometimes, at least, I dare hope that one day, I’ll climb right through it and things will become brilliantly clear. For now, here, I’m content, on the whole, to watch the play of light slanting through it and making new and interesting shadows (as, no doubt Plato would put it) on the walls of my soul.

The Skylight
by Ruth Calder Murphy

There’s a skylight in the ceiling of my soul

that sometimes seems - simply -

a picture painted brilliant and bright,

beckoning me to take a stool and stand,

stretched tall,

to make sure that if I touch it

(if it’s really there at all)

it opens to Infinity,

to the elements,

to the Hours fleeing in the presence of Eternity

and that I -

like a sailor with a gifted ship,

pulled with the tide,

or a knight set free from legalistic chivalry,

with a horse to saddle

and the whole world to ride -

on a whim,

might flee with them...

There’s a skylight in the ceiling of my soul.

Spires soar against the cerulean blue,

birds wheel and fly,

and I’ll fly, too,

one day,

when Time has no more use for me,

or I for Time

- and I climb,

out towards the spires and the tossing tops of trees,

whose leaves are all the colours of my rainbowed thoughts -

and out, beyond,

to the mountains and the sea,

over the horizon;
flying free.
~
 (More of Ruth's Spiritual poetry can be found in her book, Spirit Song)

Artwork by the author, Ruth Calder Murphy

Ruth Calder Murphy is a writer, artist, music teacher, wife and mother living in London, UK. Her life is wonderfully full of creativity and low-level chaos. She is the author of two published novels, The Scream and The Everlasting Monday, several books of poetry and one or two as-yet unpublished novels. More of Ruth's Spiritual poetry can be found in her book, Spirit Song and the soon-to-be-released sequel, "River Song". She is passionate about celebrating the uniqueness of people, questioning the unquestionable and discovering new perspectives on old wonders. She is learning to ride the waves that come along—peaks and troughs—and is waking up to just how wonderful life really is. You can visit Ruth and view more of her art on her website, or on her writer's page on Facebook. All her books are available on Amazon, here.

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