He didn’t glance back before falling forward
Into the still unknown of shocking cobalt.
Crystalline blue.
No one there to fuss or hold him
No one to cry out at just the right moment
Into the midnight afternoon breeze –
Please stay.
For those he’d loved always, eventually
Let go of his hand.
Left him stranded.
Cast away.
And when he realized this, his fate
He’d grieved. Hardened.
Become impenetrable stone.
Then (against even the quirkiest laws of nature)
Frozen to fragile ice, cracked, shattered.
If not submerged within this serene, sharp sapphire
Where else was he meant to be?
Written for dVerse, an ekphrastic poem responding to a work of art. Here that work is a beautifully complex, yet simple, evocative painting by Fay Collins
Thank you so much for sharing this. What a fantastic opening! There is something in this painting that really pulls me in, and I think you capture that feeling here. It’s a great piece.
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I really love this, though so stark with reality… to always be abandoned… there comes a time where you let go. Let’s hope he comes up for air again….
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This is the painting that first called to me, What a stunning poem you’ve written to it, for it. I agree with Sarah that the opening is fantastic, but so is the entire poem.
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Nice phrase: “(against even the quirkiest laws of nature)”
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p.s. I’m so glad you commented on my blog – followed you here-l – no favourite line – the whole is brilliant serene sharp sapphire
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Your words capture the sense of loneliness and serenity that the painting, with its many shades of blue, evokes. Well done.
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Love Cobalt Blue. Even the hardest shells crack and vulnerability can still occur.
Dwight
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The blue in this painting is so seductive and vivid. No wonder he jumped in! Love your different descriptions of the blues in the painting.
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You capture that trajectory from abandonment to grief to despair so eloquently, and you manage to break my heart in the process. Beautifully done, Jo.
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