Sculpture by Paladino in Villa Fiorentino, Sorrento, Italy
photo by S.McPherson 2012
tinged with mottled moss and weeds
you called like black raven
trilling high on apple tree
sated with sweet corn,
coarsely piercing the calm of day
my hands gathered pearls,
moist silk, to fall on your cheeks
seeking your eyes in misty green,
to lay like a fish on your crest
body wet, wedged deep in water,
warmed by southern wind
but the fire-lit sky devoured all
into clay, and suckled dry by sun
you see a cold, unmoved stone,
but i tremble with each word
flowing from your lips, each ripple tide
of quiet grief and unlit verses
float softly into my ears,
and i dream of you again
lost in the sea
Posted for: OpenLinkNight of Real Toads (Monday) and D'verse Poets Pub (Tuesday)
I was particularly intrigued by this picture by Stu McPherson ~ Thank you ~
Sucked dry of life on one hand but on the other sending out ripples still, nicely done. Hope your day was fun.
ReplyDeleteI am off today so it was fun ~ Thanks for the visit Pat ~
DeleteI love how you give power to words, here. Both in the telling, and also in the context.
ReplyDeleteHauntingly beautiful, grace
Rick
Thanks for the lovely words and visit Rick ~
DeleteWow! I forget when I look at statues to remember what they stand for, and that ideas, like people, drown, beautifully or not. Then your narrator's approach after the caw:
ReplyDelete"my hands gathered pearls,
moist silk, to fall on your cheeks
"seeking your eyes in misty green,
to lay like a fish on your crest
"body wet, wedged deep in water,
warmed by southern wind"
as if it is still alive, breathing, and speaking--though drowned-- like the person who called and accompanied the narrator to the viewing, knowing that "there but for the grace of . . . ."
Thank you Susan, I appreciate your lovely comments ~
DeleteI must say though that the picture inspired my words ~
This one touched my heart as I had a loved one on my mind. Of course I took the statue and gave it life until it's death...lost in the sea.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I am happy you like it Elsie ~ Thanks for the visit ~
Deletewow very emotive grace....the lines that susan points out but then the sun drying all into clay as well...felt piece...i like...
ReplyDeletefloat softly into my ears,
ReplyDeleteand i dream of you again
really liked these 2 lines
This was very moving and I think many of us may be picturing a loved one who has passed while we read these words, remembering them and the lives they lived. It's a good thing the remembering. I know it is a statue that you write of, but it feels like someone you knew.
ReplyDeleteAwareness can be brought about by life forms. A statue can strike a longing for someone close. Nice write Heaven!
ReplyDeleteHank
I love the ending! And I love that sculpture, so original and lovely and yet sad!
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful flow to this poem, Heaven. I am with Dezmond on loving that ending....
ReplyDeleteLovely piece!
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautifully written. Flowing and full of beautiful images......very evocative.
ReplyDeleteYour words rising from sad notes to a lost love song, are dipped in grace and flow like magic....very nice read!
ReplyDeletenice progression in this grace.. you capture the sadness the statue reflects well with your verse
ReplyDeleteLove these lines...flowing from your lips, each ripple tide
ReplyDeleteof quiet grief and unlit verses
float softly into my ears,
and i dream of you again
Great write.
Beautifully penned.
ReplyDeleteGentle, and yet powerful in vivid imagery that is perfect for that photograph.
this is very touching..'ripple tide of quiet grief and unlit verses' - beautifully said/sad. i know this feeling so well.thank you for sharing~
ReplyDeleteBeautifully moving ..."each ripple tide
ReplyDeleteof quiet grief and unlit verses
float softly into my ears,
and i dream of you again
lost in the sea" ...so sad and effective
Lovely and tender sense of vulnerability and tone throughout!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully done, Heaven.
ReplyDeleteDreamlike in itself, Heaven, and full of the bittersweet. I loved that photo also and thought it would be an excellent subject for a poem. You did it justice here.
ReplyDeleteay dios mio!
ReplyDeletei love this grace!
lisa
I have no idea what this poem means to you or what truly inspired it, but I know it speaks to me somewhere deep inside. Somewhere sad I don't like to think about. Beautifully well-written, thank you.
ReplyDeleteNice photographic selection. "each ripple tide of quiet grief and unlit verses" is very beautiful. Statues are built for a person, for a message. That is one reason I love walking old cemetery's - (Bonaventure in Savanna comes to mind) - I like to see the choices people made for their loved ones.
ReplyDeleteThis has lovely details - from the corn to apple tree to the clay and stone--they give it a kind of weight within a dream=like floating atmosphere, which works very well. k.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful write. I can see how the picture would inspire you. Very evocative.
ReplyDeleteI too was intrigued by the photograph of the sculpture in water - such an amazing composition! You rendered well your own interpretation of that conception, and bringing to the object yet another layer of meaning beyond that intended by the original artist.
ReplyDeleteSo many visuals in this. Loved your tender interpretation of that sculpture, Grace..
ReplyDeleteThe photo draws my interest as well. There is something beautiful and tragic about it.
ReplyDeleteYour poem is awesome... as always. Your words weave pictures in my mind!
Your writing is as gorgeous as ever, Grace. This is my favorite part:
ReplyDelete"each ripple tide
of quiet grief and unlit verses"
"flowing from your lips, each ripple tide
ReplyDeleteof quiet grief and unlit verses" my fav!
Some wonderful thoughts and lines here. I particularly loved "quiet grief and unlit verses"
ReplyDeleteGrace,
ReplyDeleteBeautifully balanced and paced, this moves with its own rhythm and with your usual delicate music...fine proem.
SK
Your words are so smooth, here. It feels like swimming or what living, again, might feel like to the figure. Very emotional piece and I love the contrasts, especially with "a cold, unmoved stone" and "flowing from your lips, each ripple tide". Lovely, I can see how this photo might inspire. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written, Grace, so many evocative images.
ReplyDeleteK
Heaven, the most endearing parts of my life have been "head on shoulder" moments, laying peacefully with a lover, sharing our hopes, our jokes and our dreams, quietly enjoying each other, knowing instantly that this is the greatest, most wonderful, beautiful, personal part of my life. Your poetry always, always takes me there and this is no exception....
ReplyDeletevery poignant and touching heaven, thank you ;-)
ReplyDeleteQuiet grief seems to turn all of as the stone. Better to keen and wail, I think. Across the see!
ReplyDeleteTruly very moving. I love the rich imagery you have in this piece.
ReplyDeletevivid in words and style loved it very much
ReplyDeletehauntingly beautiful.
ReplyDelete"but i tremble with each word / flowing from your lips, each ripple tide / of quiet grief and unlit verses / float softly into my ears, / and i dream of you again"
I can feel the words softly whispered here.
O if the sculptures could only talk! I like it! I like most perhaps, the way you refer this one to seeing 'only a stone' in the lover's thinking.
ReplyDeleteThank you for peeking in on my little poem about throwing out the baby with the bath water. When I was small my mom bathed both me and my little sister in the same water. She was first.
..
truly exquisite!
ReplyDeletestunning, Heaven!
ReplyDelete♥
Just exquisite, Heaven. Such beautiful description that created the most delicate emotion.
ReplyDelete