I definitely have to thank you for this, Karri. This is a conversation near and dear to my heart. Equating the experience of the rainbow to that last line especially - wow! I LOVE that.
This is spectacular and so very meaningful today. We are here in southern Maryland to celebrate the wedding of a dear former student; after a long hike this morning, we returned to the trailhead to see a Pride celebration in full bloom, and rainbows everywhere. Even a long way from home, we felt quite at home. Reading your poem as we call it a night, makes us feel the same way. Thank you!
WOW. I don’t even know what to say. This might be one of my ALL TIME favorite poems of this challenge to date, and so many people have written so many extraordinary things.
A., the frequency you hold so masterfully, so lovingly, so clearly tenderly changes the world and upgrades us all. I’m so SO grateful for people like you. Thank you so much for sharing this precious treasure with us here today <3
Thank you for sharing that <3 All the more exceptional, in that case. You're so so welcome; I think it's necessary and delightful to reflect radiant light back where I see it :)
Btw, I would LOVE to see you publish your writing on Substack because I very much want to follow you! Truly, your perceptions and presentations are exceptional, and I feel a little piece of heaven comes into my heart with every new poem. Just needed to tell you <3
That's so incredibly kind of you. I have been following several writers here for a while and honestly haven't explored it much so I would like to learn more about how it works before I decide to publish anything here, but this process has made me feel more brave and I will absolutely consider it. ❤️
If I may be so bold, I would also be happy to stay connected and be, if nothing else, a friendly queer face learning alongside you :) Your wisdom resonates within me a lot, and I appreciate that.
I would love that! And I really appreciate you sharing your experience so far. Hearing about others' experiences helps me a lot when I want to try new things. ❤️
Absolutely! That makes sense. Though I will say as one who is really just starting out here (and spitballing it as I go, I admit), it's been incredibly easeful for being even just the bare minimal I've needed to publish my work. That's what my heart has yearned for the most, really. Plus I haven't felt the urgency of scary/unforgiving algorithms here to pressure me into inauthenticity, which is amazing.
I'm so glad you're feeling braver and I'm celebrating the evolution of your path!
I love this essence of rainbows that you capture! I was very much feeling the same thing today, though I wished to reflect a slightly different facet of that same coin. Love to read your wisdom here.
And definitely! Good things always follow the rain 🌈
Thank you, I think there is something deeper (magical?) about faith that is not shaken - I have seen rainbows at several different challenging moments when somehow I just knew.... God was reminding me... a coincidence? I choose to think not!
This is powerful and delightful, Stephen. Your verse about sides reminded me of lines from a wonderful song by David Wilcox called "Fearless Love." "You didn't join the other side; the battle lines just disappeared..." may it ever be so.
Thank you so much for writing this, Steven. This vision is precious to me (and also one for which I advocate most strongly), and it delights and nourishes to see it come through you in this way. Consider me there, dancing around bonfires and in the rain alongside you in the rainbow new world :)
Wow, beautiful! Absolutely, rainbows are so much more sophisticated and divine than the golden cage of “rainbows and unicorns.” From the way that you bring yourself, Julie, you definitely do NOT seem to be in one. I celebrate you :)
Thank you so much, again, for this space, Kaitlin. Today truly feels like a turning point in this particular journey, and I've made some amazing decisions that are wholly inspired by your supportive and encouraging space.
I'll also take this moment to say, I ADORE all you folks I've been "meeting" day after day, or even just some days. This has been truly one of the most magical and organically engaging creative experiences of my life (maybe you can tell I'm relatively new to Substack still haha), and so I'm taking this energy and rolling farther and beyond with it!
I didn't feel quite as sparkly writing my poem today, but it nonetheless definitely captures the ecstasy of my joy right now, being here with you all. I don't want it to stop <3 (and so, I'm concocting a treasure such that, in some way, it won't <3)
What a delightfully joyful and beauitful poem, Jillian. I am tearing up at the end of a lovely day, reading your poem. We enjoyed this day walking, fa suprise finding a pride festival, playing music and celebrating a ceremony of love with a wonderful couple and making some remarkable new friends. Your poem is the last piece I will read before laying down to rest, and I am deeply grateful. Your words click the light off on a beauitful day. Thank you for shining many rainbows into my life.
Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind reflection, Larry. It remains a privilege to light up your life. I'm so grateful you had space for my little rainbow today <3
ROYGBIV
Representative
Of all
You, me, her, him, them
God's promise
Beyond our ingrained preconceptions
Inclusive of everyone
Vowing to press on until all humankind experiences equality.
Karri Temple Brackett
May 20, 2023
https://themarvelousandthemundane.com/2023/05/20/roygbiv/
This is splendid, Kari. I truly love how you take color initials and end with the promise the rainbow invokes. This is just wonderful!
I definitely have to thank you for this, Karri. This is a conversation near and dear to my heart. Equating the experience of the rainbow to that last line especially - wow! I LOVE that.
Dear Rainbow,
You’re the liminal arc
bending, stretching through my life
a multitude of colors
full spectrum manifest
Dear Rainbow,
Our ancestors named you Bifröst
a bridge between two realms
mortal Midgard and celestial Asgard
connecting human and divine
Dear Rainbow,
We chose you as the coda
our wedding recessional
arms tightly woven together, beaming
singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow”
Dear Rainbow,
You’re the liminal arc
fully illusion and fully real
an alchemized ellipsis
punctuating the circle of life
This is beautiful :) I love the way you bring in the Norse mythology there.
Also, “you’re the liminal arc / fully illusion and fully real / an alchemized ellipsis / punctuating the circle of life” is so wonderfully phrased.
Thanks!
What a beautiful poem Sarah! From mythology to real time life to the marvelous circle of life. a masterpiece!
My children are wrapped in rainbows
without the weight of worry
about a god who would promise peace
only after dealing destruction,
or who would create life and love
only to decide that some were sinful.
Someday, they'll learn all about
the Bible, genesis and Jesus,
queer liberation and pride parades,
and the reason they, themselves,
are called rainbow babies, but
for now, they'll wear clothes in every colour,
and smile at every stranger,
and when they see the sunlight
reflected and refracted in raindrops,
they'll know nothing but momentary magic
and the bliss of being both
innocent and ignorant of ignorance.
This is spectacular and so very meaningful today. We are here in southern Maryland to celebrate the wedding of a dear former student; after a long hike this morning, we returned to the trailhead to see a Pride celebration in full bloom, and rainbows everywhere. Even a long way from home, we felt quite at home. Reading your poem as we call it a night, makes us feel the same way. Thank you!
Thank you, Larry! I know that feeling, and I'm so glad you felt at home with my words.
WOW. I don’t even know what to say. This might be one of my ALL TIME favorite poems of this challenge to date, and so many people have written so many extraordinary things.
A., the frequency you hold so masterfully, so lovingly, so clearly tenderly changes the world and upgrades us all. I’m so SO grateful for people like you. Thank you so much for sharing this precious treasure with us here today <3
Your responses always mean so much, but especially for a poem like this that I agonized over a bit. Thank you for receiving it so kindly! ❤️
Thank you for sharing that <3 All the more exceptional, in that case. You're so so welcome; I think it's necessary and delightful to reflect radiant light back where I see it :)
Btw, I would LOVE to see you publish your writing on Substack because I very much want to follow you! Truly, your perceptions and presentations are exceptional, and I feel a little piece of heaven comes into my heart with every new poem. Just needed to tell you <3
That's so incredibly kind of you. I have been following several writers here for a while and honestly haven't explored it much so I would like to learn more about how it works before I decide to publish anything here, but this process has made me feel more brave and I will absolutely consider it. ❤️
If I may be so bold, I would also be happy to stay connected and be, if nothing else, a friendly queer face learning alongside you :) Your wisdom resonates within me a lot, and I appreciate that.
Blessings!
I would love that! And I really appreciate you sharing your experience so far. Hearing about others' experiences helps me a lot when I want to try new things. ❤️
Absolutely! That makes sense. Though I will say as one who is really just starting out here (and spitballing it as I go, I admit), it's been incredibly easeful for being even just the bare minimal I've needed to publish my work. That's what my heart has yearned for the most, really. Plus I haven't felt the urgency of scary/unforgiving algorithms here to pressure me into inauthenticity, which is amazing.
I'm so glad you're feeling braver and I'm celebrating the evolution of your path!
Don’t get me wrong-
I love a pop of prisms
as much as the next person,
color streaks arching across
the horizon.
I don’t believe
it’s the colors that draw
others to claim rainbows
as their own.
It’s the hue that glows
within hearts that see
each rainbow as a promise
projected, as hope
that good things
follow the rain.
I love the cadence and flow of this lovely poem, especially these magical, mystical lines:
"It’s the hue that glows
within hearts that see
each rainbow as a promise
projected, as hope
that good things
follow the rain.'
I love this essence of rainbows that you capture! I was very much feeling the same thing today, though I wished to reflect a slightly different facet of that same coin. Love to read your wisdom here.
And definitely! Good things always follow the rain 🌈
The rainbow
is a sign of God's promise
even in my flickering, faltering, evolving faith
I hold on
to that promise
and welcome
the hope
and joy
that arc of colour brings
my pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow
This is so special, Jane. These lines: even in my flickering, faltering, evolving faith
"I hold on
to that promise
and welcome
the hope
and joy
that arc of colour brings"
I wonder, how did you know? I feel that way most every day, my faith faltering until a rainbow in some form appears. Thank you!
Thank you, I think there is something deeper (magical?) about faith that is not shaken - I have seen rainbows at several different challenging moments when somehow I just knew.... God was reminding me... a coincidence? I choose to think not!
rainbow
colorful and enchanting
curious and inviting
as a boy searching
for the end
and the pot of gold
awaiting
how many of
those adventures
got diverted
by jumping in
puddles of water
laughing and playing
as the you
slipped into
the spiritual realm
from which you came
in church
we were taught of
a promise attached
that displays
not only beauty
but a grace
that I didn't understand then
and now as an adult
when the rainbow
has more meaning
for so many friends
and loved ones
and people I do not know
I understand and support them
hopefully, they see me as
as someone safe
an ally
even though
I long to return
to a time or is it age
where society wasn't
trying to force me
to pick "sides" as if
the world were so
simple and uninspiring
to demand
black or white thinking
of "us" versus"them"
I am so weary of this
outdated and harmful view
I long to find
the time and place
after the long rains
wash away the
powers of death and division
with a new life
where I can gather with
old friends and new
of all the shades and hues
with a variety of languages
and expressions of love
and fellowship
with no barriers keeping
us from
holding hands and hugging
laughing and giggling
embracing
feasting
and there will definitely be
dancing
in the puddles
as the music
of resurrection (from our old lives)
fills the air
and did I mention
dancing
This is powerful and delightful, Stephen. Your verse about sides reminded me of lines from a wonderful song by David Wilcox called "Fearless Love." "You didn't join the other side; the battle lines just disappeared..." may it ever be so.
Thank you.
And Amen
Thank you so much for writing this, Steven. This vision is precious to me (and also one for which I advocate most strongly), and it delights and nourishes to see it come through you in this way. Consider me there, dancing around bonfires and in the rain alongside you in the rainbow new world :)
You are very welcome. Prayerfully, it is one day soon
dance on,
like no one's watching
rainbow.
a proud plank-owner
in the close-knit fellowship that is
"things-that-make-you-stop-and-look"
an eagle fly-by,
an unexpected kiss,
violin grace notes in the subway.
a god wink,
a jolt of breaking family news,
a fresh car wreck.
stuff like that.
rainbow.
I continue to marvel at the way you nimbly juggle such weighty subjects. It’s very skillful. Thanks for your truth, Chuck.
(not my best effort, but)
Thank you.
Thank you Chuck--the promise of an unexpected kiss has me beaming with hope.
RAINBOW
I don’t want my life to be
the superficiality of
"rainbows and unicorns"
Don’t get me wrong I love
rainbows and unicorns
But no thanks to
forced positivity
confined to a Golden Cage
My life includes the shadow
depth and texture that
colors my life bold
Darkness is not to judged
just something to meet along the way
It is the night to the day
Dusk to the dawn
Birthing a deep
power and Creativity
AND, give me a rainbow any day
That glorious arc of
pure prismatic sunshine
Unrefined multicolored joy!
With a smile painted upon my face
awe in my heart
I rejoice in this iridescent gem
Wow, beautiful! Absolutely, rainbows are so much more sophisticated and divine than the golden cage of “rainbows and unicorns.” From the way that you bring yourself, Julie, you definitely do NOT seem to be in one. I celebrate you :)
"Darkness is not to judged
just something to meet along the way"
.good stuff.
Red is the car I drive around the town,
Orange is overwhelmed by being poetic daily.
Yellow is the sunshine that permeates my soul,
Green is the grass on both sides of the street.
Blue is the summer sky that stretches on forever.
Indigo is a sunset backdrop for fireflies.
Violet is the popsicle, dripping down her chin.
These colors, the rainbow of my soul.
This was so creative and such a beautiful way to paint this scene. I wish you to keep seeing such vivid colors in your life :) Thanks, Liz!
Thanks!
I love the ways you use the 7 colors in the rhythm of the everyday! I love your writing, Liz!
Thanks!
Thank you so much, again, for this space, Kaitlin. Today truly feels like a turning point in this particular journey, and I've made some amazing decisions that are wholly inspired by your supportive and encouraging space.
I'll also take this moment to say, I ADORE all you folks I've been "meeting" day after day, or even just some days. This has been truly one of the most magical and organically engaging creative experiences of my life (maybe you can tell I'm relatively new to Substack still haha), and so I'm taking this energy and rolling farther and beyond with it!
I didn't feel quite as sparkly writing my poem today, but it nonetheless definitely captures the ecstasy of my joy right now, being here with you all. I don't want it to stop <3 (and so, I'm concocting a treasure such that, in some way, it won't <3)
Big love.
Rock on, sparkly.
Big giant love to you, Jillian. You have been a rainbow for me every day in this journey!
This love is so so palpable!! What a delight! 🌈💗 You sure have brought a sparkle to my day this month as well, Larry! Thank you!
Bless you every day, rainbow seeker and keeper!
Rainbow
.
The rain falls gently around the house,
And I’m glad for this moment.
Glad to be sitting here,
Muse and tea and rain,
Warm and well and nourished,
Excited for all the rainbow rays
That’ll soon be unleashed.
Soon, my baby,
My littlest rainbow,
We’re going to be fields of wildflowers,
Splatters of paint on open canvases,
Cacophonic symphonic melodies
Dancing between the ears
Of those praying for glorious unbridled return.
For now, we’ll sit,
Happy and warm and nourished,
Sipping tea, writing a note or two,
Laying the foundation for the King
Who will soon be marching through.
Believe me,
Our time will come to
Squibblesquabble piddlepoddle
Bounce around as
Curly Q’s and whispering shoes,
Giddy and excited as squirrels on harvest day,
Fractal and colossal,
So radiant in effervescence they can scarcely believe their eyes.
But they do so, anyways,
As though gazing on angels,
As though willing the portal to be just a little wider, just for now,
Because baby, you see,
We are rainbows.
So much joy and contentment and magic here, Jillian! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much! <3
What a delightfully joyful and beauitful poem, Jillian. I am tearing up at the end of a lovely day, reading your poem. We enjoyed this day walking, fa suprise finding a pride festival, playing music and celebrating a ceremony of love with a wonderful couple and making some remarkable new friends. Your poem is the last piece I will read before laying down to rest, and I am deeply grateful. Your words click the light off on a beauitful day. Thank you for shining many rainbows into my life.
Thank you so much for your wonderfully kind reflection, Larry. It remains a privilege to light up your life. I'm so grateful you had space for my little rainbow today <3
when it comes to Light
rainbows contain everything
We promise, We do
Yes yes yes!!!
Rainbows
I’ve always loved
rainbows.
The rare occurrence of rainbows
showing up in an average ho-hum day
calls for my attention.
Their sheer beauty is enough
for me to stand in awe.
Yet I’ve learned the colors are there
all the time.
There doesn’t even need to be a storm
to see a rainbow.
When light is traveling along
and encounters something
different
like water or glass,
the light slows down
and changes direction.
The light bends.
And then we see
what’s been there all along,
a spectrum of colors,
each unique and different.
Beauty, always there in its essence,
can be visibly seen
when something, someone,
chooses to slow down
and change course.
I love this, Trish. The meaning is so multifaceted, it's beautiful.
Thank you! I feel like your poems often beautifully say what I am feebly trying to say, so your comment means a lot!
I've had this same thought about others who have commented on some of my poems here. I think maybe we should all give ourselves a bit more credit.
Yes, I agree--even though I find doing so quite hard!
Rainbow
When the rains had ended,
and the flood waters began to recede,
A rainbow appeared.
A promise, a commitment, a symbol
that a new day was dawning.
A rainbow appears.
The prophets speak of the arc of God,
bows appearing in the sky,
Revelation of hope and redemption,
Epiphanies of light across shadows,
Storm surges leading to cracks in the sky,
Calm following chaos, hope flowing from despair.
A rainbow appears.
This symbol of hope and resilience,
a beckoning of peace and centering justice,
Wherever humans have left their marks,
For better and worse,
rainbows appear.
Symbols pf promise and peace,
of inclusion and diversity expanding narrow constructs,
kindreds finding their worth and value,
clothed in multi color splendor.
peeling back layers, shedding skins
of the old, deepening understanding and trust.
A rainbow appears.
Ezekiel saw them in the sky, Noah did, too.
Jesus embodied the fullness of the colors,
as the humblest of us glimpse our beauty
in the smallest steps we take.
Avatars, seers, wisdom guides and prophets
old and new, understand the signs:
A new dream is emerging into view.
A rainbow appears.
White supremacists, Christian nationalists
purveyors of hate and spinners of lies
breathe out hate and call it love.
Their angry violent ways even take hold for a while,
but they never last.
In the harshest of storms,
A rainbow appears.
The rainbow always appears somewhere.
The untouchable feels the embrace of compassion,
The reviled find the open arms of welcome,
The battered soothed by the warmth of kindness,
The wounded healed at the broken places.
A rainbow appears.
Love blossoming long after the light has faded,
joy flowing to the children locked in despair,
hope singing in the halls of resignation,
hands holding years after all touch has ended.
Light following darkness following light into darkness,
forgiveness found in the ashes of remorse and resilience,
bowed heads rising into the dawn,
As a rainbow appears.
I feel a lot of triumph and hope in this one.
Reads like a call and respond church affirmation of faith thing.
nice.
Thank you Chuck! Happy Sunday to you!
One of my very favorite words and symbols! I lovde your poem, Kaitlin, and marveling at the wonder and mystery of science!