The Stranger Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

It was on Queen Street
Auckland, we mystically met.
I hurried past up hill
to swiftly change in hotel room.
I felt presence reach
out, as I rapidly pasted.
I stopped; to glance around.
What had arrested motion?

This unknown man would be
singular alone anywhere.
We looked searching out secrets
deep within each others eyes.
Dressed he was in shielding travel stained
clothes of youth's pilgrims who travel.
Seeking an answer to impelling souls.
Moths ever magnetically magically drawn on.

It was on Queen Street, in my beloved Auckland,
in Aotearoa New Zealand, we mystically met.
Late, I hurried past, up hill,
to swiftly change in hotel room.
For chance meeting, finding a friend,
just earlier arrived from home.
Meant night out about town, companionship,
catch-up conversation, at hastily arranged dinner.

I felt previously unencountered presence,
reach out; as I rapidly pasted.
I stopped; to searchingly; glance around.
What had arrested time pressed motion?
Saw a solitary figure, sitting alone,
upon a particularly, insignificant park bench.
Seconds taken, seize, reclaim reality,
readjust, focus. Was drawn impulsively near.

This apparently normal, at surface appearance,
unknown man; would be; singular; alone; anywhere.
We looked, searching out secrets, deep
within each others prophetic mirror eyes.
Parallels ran a similar, disturbing, mutable course.
Haunting pain was preternaturally echoed. Spirit evasively
painstakingly broken. Need heightens twin souled fleeting
communion comfort. Mind knew. Hoped for mesmeric love.
Dressed he was in typical shielding travel stained
clothes of youth's pilgrims who progressively travel.
Seeking an answer to scented balm impelling souls.
Moths ever magnetically irrevocably drawn on.
Into distant heartfelt healing hellebore future.
Excommunicating shadow. Vortex beginning. Perishing.
Seldom finding edification; release; unless extrajudical;
ecliptic; ecclesiastical time be met. And then he spoke.

'Tel Aviv is much as here.
The hills the city.
The people beneath culture.
It is different.
But it is. The same.
I was thinking that.
Two alien peopled cities
linked in swaddled spirit.'

It was on Queen Street.
While I swiftly hurried past.
Against incumbent delaying gradient,
towards my hotel. The Railton.
Which silently slowly purgatively reached out.
As artful protean angel did. To creature comfort me.
In isolation a glow an afterglow
a warmth still awakened lasts.

The Railton still preserves
the sojourn spiritual prayer.
For the silent stranger
within our welcoming gates.
The lantern glow still comforting
glow of warmth still lasts.
Lantern lit for homeless wanderers
a glow a warmth still lasts.

A Hotel With Heart
In The Heart Of The City.
Impotent To Perceive
He Who Silently Slipped Past.
Casting dissimilar disembodied shadow
across threshold of commercial hearth.
Encloaked encompassed in unfelt folds;
vibrant verse, unknown, passively passed.


Copyright © Terence George Craddock
Aotearoa The Land Of The Long White Cloud.
preternatural [med. L. praeternätürälis (1255 Albertus Magnus.
Metaph.II. xi) f. L. phr. praeter nätüram] Beyond, surpassing, or differing
from what is natural; out of the regular course of nature, not normal or
natural.
mesmerism [F.A. Mesmer (1733-1815) , Ger. physician] The art or power of inducing an abnormal state of the nervous system, in which the will of the
patient is controlled; the hypnotic state so induced. mesmeric, mesmerist,
mesmerize.
hellebore [Gr. helleboros] A plant, the Christmas rose; a plant
supposed by the ancients to be a cure for insanity.
extrajudical [f. L. exträ, beyond, from outside + jüdïci-um, judgement
+ -al] Taking place outside the court, not legally authorized; outside the
ordinary course of law or justice.
purgation [O.F. purgacion (12th c. in Hatz.-Darn.) L. purgätiön-em, of
action from purgäre to purge] The cleaning away of impurities; the cleansing
of anything from impure or extraneous matter. Act of purging, purification;
act of clearing oneself by oath or ordeal.
protean [Proteus A Greek deity who could change his shape] Readily
assuming different shapes or aspects; changeable.
sojourn [O.F. sojourner] To stay (in, among) temporarily.