Dora at dVerse suggests we explore liminal spaces…
![](https://madhatterpoetry.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/img_9149.jpeg?w=768)
“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between them, there are doors.” -William Blake
shadows, jagged and toothy
hang from limestone gums
as sharp stalagmites reach
up from dark jaws of chaos.what hideousness in pit of
earth’s bowels? a creature
vicious as vampire bat or
loathsome as cave troll?dare strap on headlamp
to crawl through dampest
fears? discover passage
into fiery lake of magma?only blind fish and dank
bacteria can exist in space
lost to the conscious world,
bathed in eternal twilight.
Jun 18, 2024 @ 19:24:11
Beautifully written, and rich with imagery. I haven’t been in a cavern in many years, but I still remember the eerie feeling.
Jun 19, 2024 @ 06:41:19
Caves are mysterious, aren’t they?! Thanks for stopping to explore, Sara.
Jun 13, 2024 @ 07:47:46
Yet to the things that live in the darkness, it’s the sunlight that’s wrong. Lots to think about in this one.
Jun 13, 2024 @ 21:28:58
You’re right…blind fish, bacteria, and bats like their dark, dank environment!
Jun 12, 2024 @ 20:54:24
I actually have experienced going through a cave via a boat, under a mountain. It can be hideous and scary but it is also uniquely beautiful to the creatures living there. An entirely different world, with different adventures.
Jun 13, 2024 @ 21:30:37
That sounds really cool, Grace! I’ve visited several caves and enjoyed the unique beauty of each.
Jun 12, 2024 @ 14:57:40
I love your poem gives a whole new meaning to visiting a cavern! A very creative write, Lynn.
Jun 13, 2024 @ 21:31:57
Thank you kindly, Dwight 🙂
Jun 14, 2024 @ 08:30:35
You are welcome.
Jun 12, 2024 @ 09:31:14
Cave as reality and metaphor–such a great idea for liminal spaces.
I especially love the imagery in your opening:
shadows, jagged and toothy
hang from limestone gums
Jun 12, 2024 @ 13:33:02
Thank you for your comment, Merril!
Jun 12, 2024 @ 16:08:51
You’re welcome, Lynn!
Jun 12, 2024 @ 05:05:42
I so admire this. Caves tend to be so dark.
Were there no bats 🦇 lovely writing, Lynn. Great job. Admirable. Xoxo
Jun 12, 2024 @ 05:23:46
Thank you, dear Selma, for stopping by my cave to read!
Jun 12, 2024 @ 02:09:00
A cave is such a classical place to be liminal space like the cave of Plato.
Jun 12, 2024 @ 04:00:43
Yes! When browsing, I found some cave photos and knew it was the liminal space to write on 🙂
Jun 11, 2024 @ 22:53:48
So many phrasings here I love that impinge on our imagination full force “up from the dark jaws of chaos”!! But that final line takes the cake — a brilliant description of almost every liminal space, “bathed in eternal twilight.” All the imagery made me think of Dante’s Divine Comedy. So beautifully written, Lynn, and profound.
Jun 12, 2024 @ 04:04:46
It was an evocative prompt, Dora! Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging comments…glad you noticed a Dante-esque theme here