In the beginning, a frenzied excitement; a plethora
of places to visit, a multitude of landscapes to explore.
Silvered graveyards reaching down to the sea;
an open road – a car, its headlamps devouring
the darkness. A phosphorescent glow from a distant town
that grew dimmer the closer I drove.
Southern climes – an ocean of strawberry trees;
silhouettes against an endless blue,
with a million empty branches and an oriole
sings in mid-air, spoilt for choice.
A flowerpot on tile-hung veranda suddenly explodes
and there sprouts a geranium-red cathedral
backlit by a blood-orange sun.
Now I am content; paint-brush on its rest,
merely looking out from my window; let the world
do its turning. I savour stillness;
no need for motion when dogged patience is all
that is required to transform light to shadow;
everything condensed, crystallised...
On the horizon, a heron traverses a morning-moon
that sails through a blush-pink tide, and my cat
sleeps in the cabbage patch – tail curled
around a sprig of thyme.
Comments
insertponceyfre... | April 21, 2011 - 20:43
some lovely imagery in this one tina
Luly Whisper | April 21, 2011 - 21:09
Sounds like a good holiday!
Silver Spun Sand | April 22, 2011 - 07:51
Many thanks, insert;-) Have a sunny weekend.
Tina
Silver Spun Sand | April 22, 2011 - 07:52
Thanks for reading, Luly. Pleased you enjoyed;-)
Tina
Dark Fox | April 22, 2011 - 11:15
I have read every single poem and your last three have had such beautiful imagery. Thank you for all the lovely reads. Your writing is inspiring as usual.
Dark Fox
Silver Spun Sand | April 22, 2011 - 11:54
Glad you find it so, Dark Fox, and many thanks for your lovely words. More than appreciated. Hope you enjoy a lovely weekend;-)
Tina
barryj1 | April 22, 2011 - 14:01
It's the imagery here that makes the poem so thoroughly unique. I just finished reading a short story by Willa Cather, the nineteenth century, mid-western American writer. The story was not one of her bests but the visual imagery was so amazing that it was worth reading if for no other reason than to see how she brought the desert landscape to life with a literary paintbrush.
Much of your descriptive prose here is every bit as good as Cather's and that says a lot because she was a superlative writer. Sorry if I'm getting long-winded but I thought you might appreciate the comparison. Bye the way, your last three stanzas were quite striking and intellectually provocative.
Silver Spun Sand | April 22, 2011 - 17:40
Barry - I always think myself more than lucky when you read one of my poems. Your insight into literature is quite remarkable, and I value, so very much, your inspired thoughts. Many, many thanks and also for introducing Willa Cather to me. I am not familiar with her writing, but I shall certainly do some research and get back to you.
I do so hope you have a lovely weekend, Barry, and that the weather where you are is as wonderful as it is, here in East Anglia.
Tina;-)
barryj1 | April 22, 2011 - 17:48
If you can find the Neighbor Rosicky (spelling?) or her masterpiece novel, My Antonia, you won't be disappointed. Also Sarah Orne Jewett, who wrote in the 1890's was a brilliant writer both in terms of her nature imagery and story telling. She wrote mostly about backwoods women living self-reliant lives. Both Cather's and Jewett's prose, at times, reads more like poetry and few contemporary writers come close to the ephemeral, lyrical quality
Silver Spun Sand | April 22, 2011 - 18:38
Thanks so much for coming back, barry, with all that extra info. Shall look into it tomorrow...now I'm off outside for a barbie!! Tina;-)
barryj1 | April 22, 2011 - 20:58
Please excuse my nutty, quasi-pathological, neurotic obsession with certain, persnickety details: these lines of yours really took me by surprise:
I savour stillness;...
no need for motion when dogged patience is all
that is required to transform light to shadow;
everything condensed, crystallised...
It doesn't get much better than this!!!!
Silver Spun Sand | April 23, 2011 - 07:57
barry - I'll excuse you, anytime;-) Hey, and thanks again. Tina
seashore | April 24, 2011 - 09:06
Another one to catch up on - a wonderfully visual piece.
Silver Spun Sand | April 24, 2011 - 12:04
Many thanks, Coral. Much appreciate it;-) Tina
fatboy74 | April 28, 2011 - 20:02
'let the world do its turning' and why not - another blinder, you are an inspiration. :-)
Silver Spun Sand | April 29, 2011 - 12:15
;-) Thanks, fb, for your lovely words.
Tina