Arches

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Arches

I have noticed

on my coastal walks
with the tropical rains
and summer warmth

that there are now many arches

green arches

living arches

 we know of architectural arches

structures that span space

while supporting weight

the earliest of which were found 

in the second millennium BC

in ancient Mesopotamia

the Romans applied the technique

to a range of structures

 Throughout history we see 

semi circular arches

Gothic arches called ogives

elliptical arches

and parabolic arches,
in sacred places
monuments

public buildings
engineering feats

in ceremony
and in nature

 When I walk

towards an arch

and pass under its frame

there is always a stirring in my heart

an inner rustling of resonance

 What is it about arches

I wonder

that appeals to the deeper parts 

of the psyche

Arches are openings

passage ways

that hint of initiation

new beginnings

and fresh starts

they tell of new directions 

and promise better things,

people often marry under arches

arches suggest that there is another way

they also offer protection

with their strong structure

and stable foundations

when we walk through the portal

we can imagine that

we are sloughing off the old

and entering the new

the arch offers us an opportunity

the arch

promises us 

that when we walk through the thresh-hold

and as we move forward

the world will not crumble

we are protected and 

able to expand and grow

it contains the moment of decision

the breath of an epiphany

the arch is a symbol of hope

and that is why
I believe 
it has a power
to speak

to the soul

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