Girl Watching Goldfish

Posted by Silver Spun Sand on February 23, 2009 - 20:08
from the ABC set Silver Spun Sand Poems

White dress, blue sash, olive skinned –
she half sits, half kneels,
on black and white tiled floor.
Her dark eyes flash – mirror the glint
of the crystal bowl; silver, blue and amber.
Adorn the walls – kilims, rugs of every hue,
hand knotted works of art. Tapestries
woven from bronze and copper thread.

A grand affair indeed, her husband’s
house, for which she’d sworn to be
eternally grateful. The breeze wafts
the drapes and through the window,
drifts the plaintive call to prayer.
Was it only just turned three?
How time drags and how she pines
for tonight with its respite from the heat.

She eyes the goldfish – imagines
swimming in their underwater world
that flashed silver, blue and amber.
Rainbow colours she’d seen once …
when she was young. Her world,
so different from theirs and yet
in some ways, much the same …
as she listens as thin whispers
ricochet off glasshouse walls.

He finds her sandals, washed up
with the morning tide … those
of his twelve year old new bride.
On the shore, her sash of Prussian
blue and a crystal bowl – flashing
silver, blue and amber. Like colours
of a rainbow she’d seen once …
when she was young.

Discuss this piece in the abctales forum

Comments

Love to know what inspired this piece Tina; a book perhaps? Haunting and moving, lovely work. I enjoyed this.

Chris X

Chris - you have a sixth sense, indeed.

Last week, I was browing in our local second-hand shop and came across an enchanting painting, 'Girl Watching Goldfish'

The proprietor told me, "Oh - it's nothing. Just an Edwardian copy of a Victorian painting, artist unknown, which was utilised by Pears Soap as one of their early advertisements."

I bought it for a fiver and it has captivated me ever since.

The first stanza of the poem is a direct description of the painting - the rest is 'what lies beneath' ... maybe.

My thanks for your, as always, inspired comments.

Tina X

I too really enjoyed this and also the tale of what inspired it. The muse can be hidden in the most wonderful places.

Dear Tina, as usual you have been able to weave a wonderful tapestry taking the inspiration from a painting by an unknown artist which had been ignored by countless people before you. But you saw the potential for creativity and this intriguing poem confirms your perspicacity.

Love, Luigi xxx

What a fabulous 'back-story' to the piece!

So dream-like in quality, the sounds you create with words echo the sound of water - truly captivating!

J x

Dynamaso - thank you:-) You are so right in what you say. All it takes is an open mind and imagination.

Tina

Hello, dear Luigi. Yes, this picture had been gathering dust for years, it was quite apparent, but when I got it home and cleaned it up (one of the advantages of oil-paintings) it really made a difference. Even my husband had to admit, having taking the micky out of me all the way home, that he kind of liked it now:-)

My thanks for reading, and for your words.

Love, Tina xxx

Hi Jennifer. It's odd, but I don't think any other painting I have ever looked at created such an impression as this one. I tried to research the original Victorian painting on google but there was only one reference to it and that was a print that was being auctioned on an antiques and fine art site that one had to subscribe to. So it seems it will always remain a mystery. Perhaps it is better that way.

I am really pleased that I managed to capture its essence in words. Certainly as far as you are concerned anyway. Many thanks.

T x

I loved the repetition of 'Silver, blue and amber' - those colours do actually go very well together!

And what a beautiful, mystical piece with a delicious exotic feel ;)

Magic xxx

Magic you are:-) And I thank you.

Tina xxx

I absolutely love the rhythm in this piece and the whole thing is just beautiful. The use of colours is brilliant. It's like scanning a pallet.

This poem moves between the corridors of its own lines.

This is what I call poetry! Well done.

Nathan.

I love that line of yours, Nathan,

"This poem moves between the corridors of its own lines." Brilliant! You should use it in something.

Thank you for your words.

Tina x

Yes, I shall! Thanks for the thought xox

Dear Silver Spun Sand,

Spotted yr poem while searching for info about a faded poster stuck to the back of an old cupboard left in my house by the previous elderly owner.

Your excellent work is without doubt a description of the poster I have and your interpretation of the story behind the image is not one I had considered.

I just thought you may be interested to know that further googling has established that it is by WS Coleman and appeared in the 1893 Christmas annual from Pears Soaps. I can forward links if you want to see more detail.

I am thinking of having the pic framed.

Hope this is of interest.

Kind regards

William

Hi there William. It is always so rewarding to get a comment as interesting as yours.

This picture I found in a junk-shop and the guy who sold it to us said it was a copy of an old Pears poster. I googled for days on end, found a vague verbal reference to it, but nothing more. Hence I am really excited by the information that you give. Thank you so much and yes, I should be interested in more info on the links.

As you can tell, the picture made a great impact on me -hence the poem, and I am so pleased that the description was such, that you were able to identify it. My interpretation of the picture was just a kind of gut feeling I got, the more I stared at it.

Once again, many, many thanks, William. You have made my day...as they say;-)

Tina (SSS)

Hello Tina,
Thanks for your happy response. Had several goes at sending links and entry disappeared after 3 lines - so here goes again - sorry if you've now recd several identical messages:
You may need to cursor down to find the relevant article in some of these.

http://www.collectablecollectables.com/articles.asp?article=01

http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/artist/2623/William_Stephen_Coleman

http://www.pcurtis.com/poster.htm

http://www.the-athenaeum.org/people/detail.php?ID=1442

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ANTIQUE-PEARS-PRINT-IN-BEAUTIFUL-DECORATIVE-FRAME_...

With best wishes.

William

Thank you so very much, William;-) I shall get onto these.

Such a strange coincidence - about the print and the poem, I mean, but then life is full of coincidences, I guess.

All the best to you and thanks again.

Tina