Rembrandt's Darkness, Rembrandt's Light
Here’s a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn –
mark how he bestows the light…
the light of Rembrandt’s conscious painted scenes
falls where consciousness itself shines strongest:
here on a thinking head, deep
in contemplation of the truth invisible;
here on a melting heart; there,
on a pregnant belly full of life;
on this marriage bed, her body
dissolves into the light of love;
here, the golden helmet and the breastplate
say, heroism has descended on mere man.
But mark, too, that other miracle:
see in this corner, the area of black paint:
this is not darkness; not negation of the light;
this is what cannot comprehend the light;
this is the darkness of the unmanifest,
from which all miracles shall in time arise:
this is the black paint stroked on the canvas
by the same dazzling intelligence
which was Rembrandt; the light
yet stored in darkness; what would that light
of things seen, be, without the mind
that understood and marked the not yet lit?
The secret of that darkness fills
with a brightness that's more beautiful than beauty,
the mind that knows to shut its mortal eyes.
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Related quotes
Shadow Puppets
In darkness
We cannot see
But without it
We wouldn’t see light.
Darkness is inferior to light
Darkness is evil
It blinds our light;
Performs shadow puppets in our mind.
Light is too clear
Darkness makes it beautiful
But we forget
Even light can blind.
poem by Mehreen Mujeeb
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Light From The Creator
// light from the creator //
Let there be light
In the inner soul
In the eyes, into the blood
Light, light, Light, light, Light, light
Light every where in the body,
Light, light in the vein,
In the brain, in the present
To enlighten the darkness
In the deep darken hearts,
Light comes Light comes
To cross the light years.
Light comes to align with
The whole Universe.
21 august,2012, bb.
poem by Baki Nasrullah
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Light.
Light me a light any kind of light,
Just shine its beam into my darkest night,
For like a child I stay up in fright,
So light me a light any light tonight.
Candlelight, moonlight any light is just right,
For in that light I might find my might!
Don’t sing me a song, don’t hold me tight,
Just light me a light, any light tonight.
Light me a light to assist my sight,
Just my naked eye darkness cannot fight,
So before darkness gets a chance to bite,
Light me a light any kind of light.
Flickering, glaring or outright bright,
I don’t care what kind just light me a light,
All I need is darkness away tonight,
So light me a light any kind of light.
poem by Barak Al'Mondia
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Dark and Light
Darkness and Light
Too different to be friends
Too much chaos to find the ends
Darkness chases off the Light
In return Light brings a fight
Darkness hides all your fears
Where no one can see the tears
Light brings hope and better life
Cutting Darkness with a knife
In the Light, my body you will find
While in Darkness resides my mind
And Here Comes Dark
It's dark outside
But I see the light
Then darkness
I see the light again
And here comes dark
It's dark outside
I am lonely and sad
But I see the light
You ask my name
Then darkness
You take my hand
I see the light again
We fall in love
And here comes dark
It's dark outside
I can't find you
But I see the light
You were right there
Then darkness
I have my doubts
I see the light again
You say I'm wrong
And here comes dark
It's dark outside
I reach for you
But I see the light
You don't reach for me
Then darkness
I feel alone
I see the light again
I read your face
And here comes dark
It's dark outside
I want to leave
But I see the light
You're come to me
Then darkness
I feel your grip
I see the light
You're hurting me
And here comes dark
It's dark outside
I try to scream
But I see the light
You have my throat
Then darkness
I can not breath
I see the light
For the last time
And here comes dark
poem by Yasmin Rubayo
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Light And Darkness
Light and Darkness...
Light and Darkness...
the light in my eyes
and the darkness in my grain
the outwardly glow
hiding the inner pain
behind this mask of gold
a deeper meaning smoulders
from my mind’s eye I’m
constantly removing boulders
the blood in my veins
celebrating a damning season
time and time again
obeying the voice of treason
Light and Darkness...
in me a perpetual parody...
Light always loses and
Darkness bathes in victory
poem by Yuri Duraan
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Light & Darkness
I remember light dimmed without darkness and darkness dimmed without light if you think about it there would be no light if there were no darkness, darkness needs lights, and light needs darkness, is that why heaven and hell do not fight, there calm but why.... they are enemies no? ....but even enemies know how to maintain balance... this light there is darkness on it... i see why.... what is light without darkness, if there were no darkness how would there be a light....... it would be a void of emptiness, thank you hells thank you heavens, thank you demons, thank you angels you know we must last so you maintain balance, you know of light and darkness......
poem by Richie Rampershad
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Darkness Of...
Darkness is not the darkness of night
it is the darkness of mind and soul.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of discrimination between poor and rich.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of dishonesty.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of aggravate.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is darkness of corruption.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of indiscipline.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of animosity.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of inveterate.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness of perjury.
darkness is not the darkness of night,
it is the darkness that we all brought up inside us,
so, light the lamp of light inside you...
poem by Suniya Garg
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My Beauty External
I stand in front of the mirror.
I turn on the light, so my reflection I can see.
But things are not as they appear.
I do not like what I see.
I just want to be beautiful.
The lights are dimmed, to minimize the outward appearance.
I try to appease an outside world,
I want them to see the beautiful me.
Why is it they speak of a beauty that I do not find so apparent?
Why is it I see the same beauty in another that stares in disappointment at their reflection?
Their lights too are dimmed.
But it is not the outward light that shows beauty.
It is my inward light.
If my inward light is dimmed.
Then it is my inner beauty that lurks in the darkness of my own mind.
A battle that has raged since before the dawn of time.
I shut off the light,
I cannot shut off the voices in my mind.
Many voices screaming, drowning out the one that whispers.
They tell me I am not good enough.
If I clear my mind, and silence the voices,
I hear the one whisper into my heart.
"You are beautiful".
For now, it is my inward light that shines.
It reflects my beauty for the world to see.
But it is only when that light shines within me.
That my beauty of the external can be seen.
poem by Ryan Lee Morris
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Easter Morning In the Twenty First Century
I have stood in total darkness
Without the redeeming glimmer of light
I have waited in the darkness for sight to come
The waiting was intolerable long and unfulfilled
I have reached out to those near to me
Unable to identify even my own hand in the darkness
But when the light came all was revealed the fear dispersed
I saw others as they were and rejoiced to see myself.
This is the light of Easter joy the light of hope
This light forever shines on into eternity
The darkness cannot overcome it.
poem by James Tipp
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Shine Your Light
You've told me,
many times before,
that you prefer living,
in a world of darkness.
But tell me this,
when looking into darkness,
don't you see the smallest light,
in the distance?
Can't you see,
a little light,
that will shine through,
any darkness?
But yet you still say,
dark is better than light,
so are you saying that,
you too are a dark person?
No that can't be so,
when I think of you,
the last thing I'd think of,
would be dark.
You have so much light within,
but yet you've decided to live,
where no light can get in,
but is suffocated by dark.
You seem so strong inside,
but yet to everyone you hide,
except to me when you show me,
the real light within.
If you are full,
of such strong light,
then why do you tell everyone,
you love the darkness?
poem by Katherine Bryce
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Light The Heart
Time pushed me into dark
It closed all the doors
And locked me in cage
For days and months
With no rays of light
I lived in with a hope
In that cage for months
For a light of hand
To reach my darkness
And to pull into light
Days and months passed
In darkness and hope
No light of hand came
To pull me into light
Slowly my hope died
I stopped to look
For light of hand
And started to think
How to light darkness?
How to light darkness?
Finally the light came
In my cage of darkness
Its not light of hand
Its a light of lights
That showed me light
It divvy's any darkness
It unlocks any cage
It lights all the time
It always helps me out
Its a light of my heart
poem by Kranthi Pothineni
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11 Days After
I will meet you 11 days after this call,
Oh my fondest memories! !
Yield to obedience and love my muse,
For the light which will light up the way to your heart is now closer.
11 days after,
The light of life and the peace of the mind;
For the light shines now in the darkness!
But the darkness does not take hold of it,
But i am as a door of hope to you.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Defining the Indefinable Light
As I inched away from your love
I walk into darkness of a deep sea,
Enveloped in dark clouds,
Layer upon layer of waves
You are the Light of lights
Of heavens and earth
Light the blinding Light!
Light the awakening Light!
A speaking Light that begun
before the birth of question
Light coursing beyond the answers
that beget but questions!
Light a beckoning
Light a reckoning Light!
A Light too high to cede to our darkness
poem by Frank Lisa IndiRa Francesca Roger Platt Cornish Ma
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Light is to Dark
The sun is bright as the light
The darkness is to the inevitable incarnation of darkness
The light shines up for the sky when its mourning
And when its dark, its for the evening, and nighttime
The lightness shall prevail the darkness, for the light will shine up
The light is to the light side as well as the darkness is to the dark side
poem by Matthew Marti
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My Side
Black emptiness is where I travel
Casting shadow where ever I go
Someone must play this part
There must be balance to make this world work
There needs to be darkness
May I bring despair, hate, and jealousy
into the lives of others
I despise myself
I despise the thought of being alone on the hated side
I am revolted even though I didn't choose this life
But as I said there needs to be a balance
And she is on the other side
There's always a ray of light in the darkness
She is that light I wish to have stabbed in me
She is my light, the guide of my love
I can feel her deep in my heart
But the darkness covers her in my eyes
Though she is always with me
Because as she casts light there must always be a shadow
I sit near a blackened pool on the opposite side of the world
and I look at the closest reflection I have of you
The moon shines on as I'm wishing you were here
I look into the pool and think of the time we have spent
Those brief few moments when light met dark
'This is a love to fight for'
That's what I said the last time we met
You shook your head and said
'In the end we'll both lose'
Time fades fast
I must convince her here and now
'Look at me' I said in her ear
She looks and her eyes twinkle
'If at anything my dream came true
I brush back her hair
'I got to meet a girl like you'
Gentle lips meet
Sometimes a kiss is all you need to do
That day was the last time I saw her
As time hit the right mark we were forced to pull away
Me into darkness
She into light
I grab her hand and try not to let go
But I was being pulled back
I yell so she could hear
'I'll come back to you I promise'
She nods
'I know you will'
And we break
I am swallowed in the darkness again
Alone and again on the other side of the world
I will wait again for the next day
When light and the dark can meet once more
Written: February 16,2010
poem by Ryan Collins
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Light Of Darkness
I trained my soul for the lies ahead,
I saved my time for the new dawn.
I tried to decipher life using light,
I tried to purge my soul with light,
But strange as it may sound
The light didn’t heal my soul.
Do I know how to use the light?
If not, how can I reform my ways?
I craved for some knowledge.
Teach me how to use the light, I cried.
All that came was an echo,
None heard my cry.
I wondered why I wasn’t able to use the light,
Everyone knew it, but why can’t I?
My patience drained out of me,
But my will kept me on,
I tried to crawl into the light.
But then I asked myself.
Why the light? Why not darkness?
There, my cry was answered.
I found a new way to use the light,
But strange as it may sound,
The light showed me its true face,
A face that was common for all,
A face of darkness.
I ran into the new face of light,
I ran into the darkness,
And there, my life revealed itself,
I was able to purge my soul with the light of darkness.
poem by Vivek Kartha
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Darkness Of Light
People regard light as a great principle,
Something that awakens our day,
Something that enables us to see in our misty minds,
Something that we all share.
But when does light share darkness,
Nobody ever thinks about when light was dark,
How it was used to kill and sacrifice,
The forgotten.
This light isn't all good,
For once it cleared the darkness,
It never fought away its return,
This darkness in which we all live in,
Is only light itself, for the earth started in darkness.
The birth is only the true state,
The Big Bang or God brang light,
But before the light there was dark,
And light was our saviour now
Our destroyed respects in the dark.
poem by Viraj Bhanshaly
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Light
Brings hopes in the life, light
Travels with a greater might, light
Gives vision to many eyes, light
A colorful horizon on eastside, light
Seems coming form the heights, light
Over comes evils of the night, light
To the darkness it always strikes, light
Faster than any flight, light
For many beings it is a diet, light
Thunder seems snatching sight, light
Rainbow is at wide, light
Spreads everywhere at sunrise, light
Over sky all white, light
Gives impact always bright, light
Shows path, put on right, light
If one thinks it is a life, light
poem by Zaibar Zee
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Hope
an angel a bridge
of heart
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness Darkness
a light
of humanity tree