Aquarius
A black cross in my memory,
Upon a tangled silver chain,
Against his skin of ivory,
Glows fire-branded to my brain.
I wonder what it means to him.
A superstition, luck-charm, or
A beacon when his faith is dim,
To lead him through the narrow door?
An icon wrought of ebony:
I pictured it when last I prayed,
Confronted with a sanctity
Above my reach, above my grade.
And on the night I saw him last,
Above his heart it caught the light.
I bowed then, with my eyes downcast,
Beneath his gaze of lazurite.
Patricia Rogers Crozier has been published in The Washington Post. She holds a B.S. in Physics from Mississippi College. She resides in Gulf Breeze, Florida and works at Publix. She is the winner of the 2024 SCP International Poetry Competition.
A mysterious poem presenting sensory appeals to the symbolic imagination. “Aquarius” may be a name (with connotations from the astrological sign) given to this man by the speaker attracted to him. She wonders what his black cross means to him, just as her words challenge readers to interpret the partial portrait. It names several colors (black, silver, ivory, ebony, and lazurite or brilliant blue). The speaker explains only that she does not understand the man’s sanctity perceived to be above her own. That leaves readers also wondering what to think and whom to trust. Fine development of mood, Patricia!
My first thought was the 1969 song, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” by the 5th Dimension. Margaret Coats expressed some of my thoughts beautifully about sensory appeal, symbol for imagination, and great use of color. A black cross worn on a chain may symbolize Christian grief and mourning, solemnity, and/or inner strength. The black cross in the picture looks like the iron cross for bravery first used in Prussia and later by the Nazis. The meaning thus depends heavily on context, shape and design, along with who is wearing it and why. You have left us much to ponder with this mystical illusion.
This is an epic poem which I very much enjoyed reading. The rhyme and meter are solid. The visuals are clear, concise, and compelling Well done!
Indeed, a mysterious poem. In sub-Saharan Africa, it’s common for sculptures, knick-knacks and other items – Christian crosses being one of them – to be made out of ebony, which I suppose may be incongruous to some people due to the associations with the colour black, but of no consequence here.
The Aquarius reference takes us back to ‘new agers’ and the ‘Age of Aquarius’. Someone born under Aquarius is supposed to be ‘independent, innovative, a humanitarian free spirit who marches to the beat of their own drum’, which fits in with the perception of the person described in the poem. Whether a force for good or not, however, is unclear.
I was also getting the vibe of a cult leader being led ‘through the narrow door’ of faith and the narrator being one of his following.
This poem unpacks a lot of possibilities, Patricia, as seen from both the picture chosen, and the comments.
Thanks for a poem that begs revisiting and wide interpretation.