House of Light

Montauk, 2006

 

Every day the ripe white-caps glow in the sun,

bold lilies opening on the enormous blue morning.

But how simple they are, like full-moons quick with energy.

 

In any case, I take them in as they are,

as happiness is taken whole.

We don’t even have to get to the fine point of the story.

On the shore my gaze full of attention falls on the distant depths

perfectly arranged since water covered the world eons ago.

Life emerged, busy swirling back from the darkness.

 

More and more the moments come to me,

and there is still time to let the last blossoms of sunset

bleed and deepen my tired eyes,

before floating into the moonlight’s shadow.

 

Do you shiver at the thought?

I should like to bring you here, to remember

the ocean’s thundering call and the heart’s timeless song.

I don’t think of it as being idle or floundering.

 

Stephen Cipot

Garden City Park

Author’s note: In the mid-2000s I was awarded a unique, glorious, month-long writing residency in Montauk by the Edward F. Albee Foundation. It was held at the William Flanagan Memorial Creative Persons Center (better known as “The Barn”).

I was accepted for poetry from among about 180 candidates. I shared the Center with 4 artists, 2 visual, 2 writers.

Mr. Albee himself dropped off the mail mornings and conversed with the artists.  Mr. Albee was an exceptional patron of the arts, and especially tried to help talented visual artists show their works at NYC galleries.

I gained great appreciation for what it meant to be a struggling artist.  I felt very fortunate because I was not a full-time artist, at the time a career scientist and project manager with the U.S.E.P.A. who merely dabbled in writing.  I’ve done so since middle school, including when I also previously worked in oil, gas, and some mining t/o the U.S., which were other unique if not always welcomed experiences.

Anyway, I purposefully did not bring a car and spent a month riding a bike, hiking nature trails, visiting various local beaches during the days and nights: Montauk, Hither Hills, Navy Beach, The Walking Dunes, Shadmore, Camp Hero…

Being a lover of libraries and at the time a library trustee for my community, I spent quite a lot of time reading and writing at the Montauk library.

I wrote a lot.  Peaceful environments away from usual cares and all were unparalleled.  This is an effort from that process. I hope readers enjoy it, for what it’s worth.