Partly Strong and Partly Fragile

I wrote a poem during adoration. So, yes- Jesus does care about art and He allows inspiration to hit us at any time.

A visit to Jesus-- SO refreshing!

Today the first reading at Mass was from the Old Testament book of Daniel. It was kind of long and not a little bit boring, actually. Still, one tiny line jumped out at me: "partly strong and partly fragile". I remembered that verse throughout the day, but could not tell you in what context it was used. At adoration later in the day, I decided to give the verse another look and meditate on it's context.

First off, when I tried to open my Bible to Daniel I couldn't. When I originally put on the index tab stickers (you've seen them:)

Bible Index Tabs, terrifically useful!

I apparently sealed up the first few pages of Daniel. (Meaning, I have never opened the book of Daniel in my Bible-- FAIL!) After prying the pages free, I could see the verses that the reading referenced. Daniel 2: 31-45 It was all about the dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had and tried to get wise men to interpret. No one could do it successfully and all of the wise men of Babylon ended up being put to death for it. (Crazy!) But Daniel prayed to God and poured forth the interpretation that the Lord gave him for the King. Anyway, this is where it lost me a bit, with descriptions of what the statue in the King's dream symbolized and all that...  But after I read it all a couple of times, it struck me as being pretty cool after all. I love symbols and statues, kings and mountains, avalanches and china, tile and toes-- and especially everlasting kingdoms. "Partly strong, partly fragile"- what a great line! So, I prayed and then I started writing a poem. 

The poem I came up with has nothing to do with King Nebuchadnezzar or the prophet Daniel. Its not even religious, though, in a sense, all art is religious. But that great little line made me think of Eowyn (my favorite Lord of the Rings heroine) and a bit about myself. Here's what I came up with: 

The White Lady of Rohan

Partly Strong, Partly Fragile

The lady's face is iron

Her face, a saddened steel

But her mouth is trimmed with smiles 

To break across and heal.

Her eyes avoid yours sadly

But the lady is not sad

They dance in blue grey coldness

And widely understand.

The lady's speech is confident

She laughs, is loud and strong

But her voice wanes in the darkness

Crumbling and cracking, called to song.

Her sighs, then, may deceive you

Make you think that she is weak

But the lady's frame's a tower

Withstanding trials, striving meek.

The lady's breath draws sharply

As she turns away from you

But she comes back skipping sweetly

While the stinging stabs anew.

The lady's face is iron, 

Her face, a saddened steel

But do not think you cannot harm

She is more fragile still than real. 

Nothing to write home about, but I love it when a complete thought, or poem drops into my lap/head. And this one just seemed to have inspiration interesting enough to blog about. :)