Let There Be Light

All that we see occurs through the medium of light, whether as power in electromagnetic radiation, or as brightness visible to the human eye and mind. So pervasive is this illumination of light in our lives that it also has a metaphoric and symbolic function as enlightenment or knowledge. That duality of meaning lends a special emphasis on the perception of light as awareness or truth, above and beyond what we perceive through simple eyesight.

The poems and photos in Let There Be Light attempt to explore all facets of that phenomenon of enlightenment, the visible and the spiritual, and the value of metaphor in doing so is a powerful tool. We should look beyond the merely physical parameters of our existence so we become more conscious of ourselves as spiritual hybrids on a mission to become more self-aware.

About the Author

Michael J. O'Loughlin has wandered mountains in America for forty-plus years as climber, hiker, skier, and High School/college teacher and principal.

Now retired, O'Loughlin continues to explore mountain vistas throughout our western states. Glaciers, rivers, and rock pitches of this hemisphere's mountains provided rich tableaus for his camera and notebook. Six books of pictures and verse integrate his poetry and photography in a context Michael describes as "neither escapist nor alarmist, but grounded in an awareness of cyclic themes in our existence as spiritual individuals interacting within cultures and wilderness." His signature subjects include the majesty of outdoor sanctuaries and varying spiritual and psychological facets of human reactions to beauty, fatigue, fear, and triumph. Recently, Michael's lens and verse have focused on the surreal sandstone of Sedona, Arizona, where he and his wife, Isobel, are planning a second climb.