Night Lights

Amorella here in the middle. Guessing allowed as to where we are. Those who are witnesses will know almost intuitively. Logic built this place and the lights in the photograph show a two-dimensional form of its human created reality.

The three-dimensional reality is both higher and deeper than can be seen. Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. As with some of this blog’s photos this one is ‘enhanced’ by iPhoto rather than by imagination.

For reasons unknown the picture as it is reminds me of lines from Dante’s Inferno. The original lines as found online are:

Per me si va ne la città dolente,

Per me si va ne l'etterno dolore,

Per me si va tra la Perduta Gente.

Giustizia mosse il mio Alto Fattore;

Fecemi la Divina Podestate,

La Somma Sapïenza e 'l Primo Amore.

Dinanzi a me non fuor cose create

Se non etterne, e io etterno duro

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

-- Dante Alighieri (La Divina Commedia, Canto III.1--9)

The translation I love the best is by John Ciardi and I used to have it posted on the outside of the door of my room while in college. These are the first nine lines of Canto III from the Modern Library edition that I still have in my basement office library:

I AM THE WAY INTO THE CITY OF WOE.

I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN PEOPLE.

I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL SORROW.

SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ARCHITECT.

I WAS RAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE,

PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT.

ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR

WERE MADE BEFORE ME, AND BEYOND TIME I STAND.

ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE.

The lines above are on the Gate into Dante’s Hell. Powerful words in my mind. Wonderfully delivered. It is strange that I think of them realizing this posting was supposed to be on a further description of an AN-G-EL.

But, as a matter of fact, Dante appeared to you as writing as an angel did he not, especially in this passage above.

He did, yes. In my imagination I felt that the tone and language that not Dante but John Ciardi uses here fits my sense of an angel’s note. Strangely, it still does. The tone especially fits my sense of an angel writing. I especially love the lines:

I WAS RAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE,

PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT.

This is how I see the composition of an angel: “An angel was raised by Divine Omnipotence, Primordial Love and Ultimate Intellect.” Amazing how you got my mind here, Amorella. Truly amazing to me.

Now, all you have to add is:

“An Angel is raised by Divine Omnipotence, Primordial Love and Ultimate Intellect and is composed of Wonder and Doubt as blood and bone.”

When it comes time for you to begin again on book four, The Rebellion, you will use this definition when thinking of an angel or AN-G-EL as I like to post it. – Amorella.

Readers, this is how Amorella works in my head. She brings things out from the most curious of places. Yet, deep within myself, I understand that this is the best definition my imagination with Amorella’s help that I can authentically deliver. What it means to me and why it is important is that as with the first three books, it is authentically ‘myself from the inside out’ – it is from my heart of hearts, even though it renders fiction. And, there in the best and quietest of private places resides the humor of it all.