“Bird of Paradise” Images 1 & 2 by Dale Innis on Midjourney
Please click play to hear me recite my poem to the gorgeous music of
Emma Shapplin, whose song, “Spente le Stelle” inspired my words.
Bird of Paradise
for Emma Shapplin
Don’t question the clouds that hide the stars,
or that the moon shrouds her face when she hears your voice.
Do you think the Heaven’s immune or indifferent to beauty?
The kind that fills your throat until you cry out like a dying rare bird,
that the angels love more than all the others.
You sang to them until tears dropped from their luminous eyes,
a rare beauty in this starless night,
poised on the edge of Paradise,
wings outstretched, ready to take flight.
What awaits your leap of faith?
Swan Lake or rocks that rake and impale your soul
in the uncertain world of dark humanity down below?
You stand on the thinnest part, waiting for it to break,
testing your fate, while the night urges you
To yell out, one last time
into the spiraling chasm your vocal design…
for Everything.
You want to descend,
even if the entire court rises up to block it;
you know they will not bear this to end,
even with you proclaiming in notes that echo,
against darkest of penumbras and shadows ,
calling you back with no shame.
You whose voice the angels fight over…
trading and bartering souls
to see which might hear you first..
at the break of each new day..
The notes that leave your throat
can unlock any immortal secret,
any human tragedy, any divine riddle..
they are dangerous to poets
with weak walled hearts
for you scrape them clean
by only practicing your scales.
You are too much for human ears to take.
You will bring a continent to its knees,
the angels in their domain now flutter and grieve…
Stop!..
You are the chosen bird of the celestial court..
don’t fly away. Stay!.. and sing..Sing!…
If you plunge now you will see them fall..
give them your all…
leave them sobbing and heaving..
angels on the floor.. begging you for more.
.
The night…. the night…all stars are dimmed by you,
until they fade away..
the music from your soul bathes them
until they go out.. and fall like tiny coals at your feet..
If you have been given this voice
all you can do is sing… Sing Bird of Paradise;
your voice leaves us breathless..starless…
May your song be forever long,
your notes go on and on
even after all music has faded…
Karima Hoisan
June 24, 2023
Costa Rica
*Footnote: The giant clap of thunder at the end was not planned. I was recording and it came as a surprise. I left it in..because..well isn’t it a perfect ending? The heavens have spoken:)
Digital Rabbit Hole 
That’s amazing. The thunder was *an accident*?? It works so completely perfectly; clearly this was meant to be. 🙂
Only you would even think to speak your poetry over such a powerful singer; and somehow it works beautifully!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Aww thank you Dale and as far as recording a poem over Emma Shapplin, I never meant to do her a disservice by adding my voice to her incredible voice. On the contrary, this music inspired almost an automatic writing session in me, and what other music could I use, if not hers? Anyway, so glad you feel it did work and I did not overshadow her incredible talent. The thunder? The Heavens having the last word…as is fitting:)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow, you have done it this time, you have gone too far! I don’t know about the Angels, but your lyrical paean to Beauty left me speechless….! ( I was unaware that beautiful music still existed, thank you for the gift). That Thunder was the result of true Alchemy: by aligning perfectly with the Implicit Order hidden behind the Beauty you somehow conjured a manifestation in the Explicit Order, this is Magic. True Poetry….Earth holding hands with Heaven……
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this amazing comment..it made me feel that you too were feeling what I was at the moment Emma Shapplin began singing and captured my heart. Thank you too for you effusive words about my part in the poetry, that poured out of me, while I was totally captivated, almost in a state of ecstasy, listening to her voice. It was magic and not of my making..Heavens rumbling at the end felt to me like a standing ovation from the celestial court…and tears rolled down my face. This synchronicity was too much for this “weak-walled human heart” Your last lines, Belavar, “this is Magic. True Poetry….Earth holding hands with Heaven……” made me well-up in tears again..Things like this rarely happen to me, but when they do..all I can feel is immense awe and gratitude. Your comment meant so much to me…as you can see, most of my readers have not commented, which is odd as I have a good rapport established…but maybe this piece was not for everyone…I am so glad it was for you 🙏
LikeLike
Thank you for expressing and then generously sharing, yes, I ‘understood’ it well. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know you did 🙏
LikeLike
I love what you did with your poem! The words and the music flow so well together. Beautifully written!
Dwight
LikeLike
Oh Dwight, thank you so much for taking your time out to listen to it and leave me this comment. I am so glad you think they worked well together. This means a lot to me, as I was a bit unsure to try it in the beginning:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was great! :>)
LikeLike
I am on my stationary bike as iisten to this..just a perfect way to accompany my morning work out. Your voice fits perfectly well to the theme of your poem. And yes, the thunder ( though not planned, was an epic ending)
I love this Karima
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Mich…what a voice!! I was mesmerized. and the thunder someone said to me was the “Thunderous applause” of the Heavens themselves..I love that idea:) I’m so glad we could accompany you on your morning ride:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tenderly beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Dawn..isn’t her voice gorgeous? So glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree dear Karima.
“The notes that leave your throat
can unlock any immortal secret,
any human tragedy, any divine riddle..
they are dangerous to poets”
We can fall into the messy world. We need the salvation of the sea/the lakes and the forest. Hello dear friend and I hope you are doing well and enjoying the days of June.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello John, how nice to see your comment… I am not an opera fan but her voice although operatic, sings songs like this and sends me in a swoon. I am glad you listened to it…and the thunder at the end, is like the frosting on the cake…such perfect timing:) I am enjoying the June days and hope you are too:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too. My garden is doing well. Four colors of roses blooming in my yard. I love the days of June. Michigan is nice. The green earth is alive and well dear Karima.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember Wisconsin in June. The grass was soo green!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wisconsin and Michigan. Almost the same. Beautiful Springs and easy Summers dear Karima.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes and harsh cold winters 🥶
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes dear Karima.
LikeLike
Your words and the music is paradise with your words that touch deep cords. So beautiful and powerful dear Karmima.
“they are dangerous to poets
with weak walled hearts
for you scrape them clean
by only practicing your scales.”
Each sentences crescendos into the next one when I think there couldn’t possibly be another that could go deeper and then you do. Awesomeness Karmima.
“May your song be forever long,
your notes go on and on
even after all music has faded…”
Well done my friend!
👏💗💞❤️👏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Cindy..I’m so pleased you thought it came together nicely; so happy you enjoyed my poem alongside her incredible voice:) The “thunderous applause” at the end couldn’t have come at a better time. It shook my windows, strained my mic…wow Heaven spoke up too:) I hope that was a positive thunder clap..they are hard to translate their moods:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a 10👏👏👏👏👍🏾you’re so welcome Karima!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a journey you take the reader on in this moving and imagist poem that recounts such deep experiences and evokes such nostalgia. Lovely writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Layla I appreciate you listening and leaving me this very welcome comment. I’m so glad it touched you.
LikeLiked by 1 person