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Clouds Over Skye
Vast mounting clouds rise over peak and vale;
Their shifting billows filter noonday´s beams,
Which pierce the spectral haze, so wispy pale,
And flood the hollow, where a wee tarn gleams.
The interplay of orbs spread out in space,
Gargantuan beyond all human thought,
Creates this monumental interface
Where light and shade, uniting in one spot,
Flow past like dancers in a grand ballet
Played out on this vast stage we call the earth.
Amazed, I bow my heart to God and pray
“How great you are, to give such beauty birth!”
This cosmic spectacle my eyes behold—
These graceful movements, hushed, precise, and planned,
Reveal a Mind whose depths cannot be told,
And boundless power none can understand.
That power far exceeds the total sum
Of all the fiery stars of heaven combined,
Those countless lights, which nightly strike us dumb
With awe, to see them in their hosts aligned.
Those sparkling jewels, all forged out of flame,
Were placed in space according to God’s will,
Their intersecting orbits to proclaim
His peerless genius and artistic skill.
This beautiful choreography of heaven,
Engaging stars and planets at their pace
Attests to Him who rested on day seven,
When He had put each spinning sphere in place.
I thank God for these dancers all around,
Mute witnesses that to my conscience call,
These shifting clouds and stars that make no sound,
But loudly speak of Him who made them all.
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Martin Rizley grew up in Oklahoma and in Texas, and has served in pastoral ministry both in the United States and in Europe. He is currently serving as the pastor of a small evangelical church in the city of Málaga on the southern coast of Spain, where he lives with his wife and daughter. Martin has enjoyed writing and reading poetry as a hobby since his early youth.
Thank you, Martin. A lovely poem full of the beauty, mystery and magic of Creation. I love the thought and expression of the last two lines.
Thank you, Bruce, for your feedback. I am glad you enjoyed the poem and especially, the last two lines, which summarize its central theme.
Martin, you wrote such a beautiful creative poem about the powers of God and His creation on display for all to see and praise.
Roy, Thanks for expressing your appreciation of the poem which, as you point out, is quite simple and direct in its theme (after the manner of Psalm 19) which is the clarity of the silent testimony conveyed to all by the wonders of creation and the corresponding call to “see and praise” God for His mighty works of power which are on display before our eyes.
Beautiful as always, Mr. Rizley. What’s magical about this poem is that it begins with the description of clouds over vales, then slowly makes its transition into other planets, stars, and the moon, while not ceasing its exaltation of God. Every image is clearly presented, and the piece has a seamless rhythm. If I had to choose my favourite part, I’d say Stanza 5; through its first two lines, it says everything it had to say—
“That power far exceeds the total sum
Of all the fiery stars of heaven combined.”
The final two stanzas conclude beautifully the poem.
I am glad you enjoyed the poem, Shamik! As you point out, the theme of the poem is quite simple and summarized in the opening lines of stanza 5 (as well as in the closing couplet)– namely, that the order, beauty and power of the natural world point beyond the visible universe to a power source and creative mind that lie beyond what we see– i.e., to the transcendent Creator, a truth conveyed silently, yet unmistakably, to the eyes and understanding of all.
What an elegant and succinct summary of your wonderful theme, Martin!
“Thou hast ordered all things in measure and number and weight” (Wisdom 11:21). Or as you speak of it, Martin, “his peerless genius and artistic skill.” Your title, “Clouds over Skye,” employs the name of the island to suggest a “cosmic spectacle” from the beginning.
Thank you, Margaret, for your observations and the fascinating quote from Wisdom that conveys the same idea as the poem. Also, I had not picked up on how the reference to “clouds” and “sky(e)” in the title anticipates the cosmic spectacle described in the poem, involving the clouds, stars, and planets.
This poem is an exquisite lyric, though I must confess that I admire the Isle of Skye more for its being home to Talisker and, more lately, Torabhaig.
C.B. ,
Thanks for your feedback. I have actually never visited the island of Skye; the poem was inspired by a lovely photograph of clouds drifting over and casting their shadows on the undulating landscape. Given the fact that Scotland is considered by many to be the birthplace of whisky, it doesn’t surprise that nestled among the natural beauty of its rocky crags and glens one finds the occasional distillery.
What a marvelous poem! I love reading this and will cut and paste it, and keep it with my favorites.
Well written, Martin!