VERSE 987 MASNAVI V I prepared to create Fragments of Light 5 by repeatedly reading the poem. The image of a dark lantern, its interior filled with brilliant light, began to take shape in my mind, and I struggled to find a suitable structure for this haunting image. I chose a black ultra suede for the cover to suggest the lantern's exterior. For the interior, I decided to use the form of an ancient Chinese slat book where the "pages" were made of bamboo or bark and fastened together with string or rope. I made the inside, including the title and colophon pages, of transparent acrylic slats incised with a laser to create the English and Persian text. The slats are connected by long multi-colored filaments and can be lifted and extended. When the book opens the glowing color of its central core is revealed. The core and slats reflect the viewer's hands along with the text. This is meant to heighten self-awareness, bind the reader to the words and evoke a sense of ritual. In choosing materials that reflect and capture light my aim was simultaneously to honor Rumi's words and dematerialize them.