Four Poems After Paul Reynard, by Ellen Dooling Reynard

Baptism, by Paul Reynard (France) 1990

Baptism

He rises from the water, shimmering
under light emerging from the heavens.
Son of the sun, spirit of the earth,
his feet remain in the darkened depths.

This birth from the water is a second beginning
to that life which began in a stable and leads
to the gathering of disciples, teaching of multitudes,
and ultimately to death on a cross on a lonely hill.

On this day, while thunder echoes around him, 
he rises slender as the reeds on the river bank, 
steps out of the water and makes his way 
into the unknown wilderness.

Jacob's Ladder, by Paul Reynard (France) 1976

Jacob’s Ladder

“…and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven;
and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it…”                
Genesis 28:12

In long effortless steps, they come down 
to the earth where they interact with mankind,

and mankind receives their blessings, gifting
the angels with their strongest virtues.

The sacred beings’ return to heaven is arduous
and complex, like the labors of those in Purgatory,

yet they do not falter nor lose faith, 
but with the help of mankind’s essence

they keep on climbing until they reach
the top rung and reunite with their Father.

Once descended and ascended, they do not rest,
for it is their task to repeat their journey…

Mount Ararat, by Paul Reynard (France) 1989

Mount Ararat

The mountain rises before us, up and up 
to unimaginable heights, and we look down 
at our feet to imagine this land covered in flood 
waters long ago.

Water so deep that only the peak of this tall 
mountain emerged from its depths. We picture 
a lone boatman navigating the waters, finally 
to come to rest on this island.

From there, he looked out over the distant reaches 
of the waves. Not seeing dry land for as far
as the eye could see, he settled here 
to await the receding of the flood.

Purgatorio, by Paul Reynard (France) 1988

Purgatorio

Hidden in the clouds of unknown possibilities,
Purgatorio rises from the plain toward hope.
The sun peers down, a giant eye witnessing 
the suffering of he who would climb the cruel 
heights toward redemption.

No hand helps his labors, he must toil 
and brave the steep path, with eyes fixed 
on the source of light that flickers through 
the gloom. The way upward twists and turns
in a series of dead ends, forcing the climber 
to retreat and seek a different route.

Just when he gives up hope and sinks to his knees, 
a new route opens before him, and he recommences 
the arduous climb.

When he enters the zone where mist blocks
our view, we cannot help but wonder,
does he reach a broad meadow filled with flowers, 
watered by myriad streams and cascades?
Does the great eye of the sun shine clear, free of clouds?        

It is not for us to know.            

Ellen Dooling Reynard

​​Ellen Dooling Reynard spent her childhood on a cattle ranch in Jackson, Montana. A one-time editor of Parabola Magazine, she is now retired and lives in Grass Valley, California. Her poetry has appeared in publications including Lighten Up On Line, Persimmon Tree, The Ekphrastic Review, and Poetica Review. Her first chapbook, No Batteries Required, was published in 2021 by Yellow Arrow Press. Double Stream, a chapbook of ekphrastic poems based on the art of the French painter Paul Reynard, was published in 2022 by The South Forty Press. She has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize.