Depth is Recondite

It’s our last full week of NaPoWriMo (National /Global Poetry Writing Month) and the A-Z Challenge. I hope you’re enjoying the A to Z of Depth.

“To gain a reputation for wisdom a man must seem to have a store of recondite knowledge . . .” ~Bertram Russell

I like the word “seem” in that quote.

Recondite is an adjective meaning: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible; not known about by many people and difficult to understand.

“Difficult to penetrate or comprehend: recondite” is the third definition of deep, so depth’s third definition: “the quality of being deep” would lead to depth meaning the quality of being recondite.

How do we understand depth when in its own definition it is difficult to penetrate or understand? How would we approach any subject or topic that is recondite?

1. Discussion. Bouncing ideas off other people to come to some consensus.
2. Break the subject into its smallest parts and start with something that is comprehensible.
3. Take your time. Learn a little bit, let it rest, then revisit and review. Learn a little more and ruminate.

Searching for recondite knowledge, so we can gain a reputation for wisdom, I found an interesting article: “Infrasound, human health, and adaptation: an integrative overview of recondite hazards in a complex environment“

And this pdf of Recondite Harmony: Essays on Puccini’s Operas.

Today’s Poem

Recondite Day

Pressure on her chest
and a lick on her nose
mean it’s time to get up
and feed the cat.

Pen to page to
start the day
morning light slants
through where the
curtains break.

She explores her depths
barely escaping
the swirling tentacles
of the octopus of her soul.

And there she meets
her shadow and
invites her to tea.
They sip steaming
Darjeeling and reminisce
about the things they
never dared to dream.

And when she isn’t looking
her shadow steals her pen
and suddenly she finds
herself deep in the dark
cave of the octopus’s den.

This poem was inspired by today’s prompts at NaPoWriMo and Writer’s Digest’s April Poem a Day (PAD) Challenge.

This Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 pm Eastern is Academy of American Poet’s National Poetry Month Celebration, Poetry & the Creative Mind.

It’s free. Just RSVP.

Thank you so much for coming by and reading my post. Any thoughts or questions about Recondite Depth? Come back tomorrow for more depth exploration and poetry.