…stalks me

No-one walks this road
this road of empty fields and angry skies
I am alone here, my mind slowly drifting
to the subtle grace and the hidden beauty of the universe
it’s mysterious depths, that only my soul can feel
just as here in your shadow
the flame is still flickering
in the very depths of my soul
in the velvet night
a melancholy moon looks on from on high
Yūgen whispers to me, that my sorrow is beautiful
in this pervasive silence, a deep loneliness stalks me
the ancient hand of time
with its thousand fold mysterious ways
the moon is now hanging low
such dissonant bright beauty
weaving the sweet night with magic and gold
diamonds and darkness, whispers and dread
she is lonely too, yet softly she still rises
spilling her silver over this desolate place
her beautiful suffering
© Ann Bagnall

Yūgen (幽玄) is a profound concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics that refers to an awareness of the universe too deep and mysterious for words. It describes a subtle, hidden beauty that is sensed rather than directly seen, and often evokes an emotional response combining profound grace with a touch of gentle sadness.