Blue Nowhere
Riding a blue wind
into nowhere
she hangs on the sea line, blowing
like a sail from the rippling filament,
above the ever torn and ever mended waves,
and nowhere peace.
The wind has stripped her will,
the shadows and the sun have
blinded back the black and vacant rocks,
given restless wrack and seething foam
a splashing spurious pirate gold,
but nowhere peace.
The perfect angled arch, the symmetry
is hers, the art and all
the making hand of man,
the walls that crumble,
the bleeding words that ran,
and nowhere peace
except the peace
her being brings
unknown, past measure.
April 2011
Posted for OneShootSunday at the inimitable OneStopPoetry
Image by the gifted poet and photographer, James Rainsford
"the shadows and the sun
ReplyDeletehave blinded back the black and vacant rocks"
^I wrote that without having to refer to your text; a mark of excellent flow. I love text that refers to the sense of just "being" so this resonated with me. Beautifu, as always.
-Pounds
Well, I loved the title before I even began to read the poem itself.
ReplyDelete"ever torn and ever mended waves". Get. Out. So simple, and yet, if it is so simple, why haven't I ever seen it put that (perfect) way before?
Each words seems so carefully chosen, and as much for its phonetic sound as for its meaning. Great care went into writing this, it's obvious.
And the ending...both the structure and the thrust change, to wonderful effect. You're good at doing that.
NOW i'm supposed to write something for One Shoot today? Pfffft. I never liked you, Witch! ;-)
There is a philosophical/aesthetic layer here that Byran mentions. To me, a fine aspect to a beautifully written poem. Reminds me of Sartre and Heidegger in it's attempt to reconcile "being" in tandem and turn with time and nothingness, respectively.
ReplyDeleteI thought about this photo but considering my day yesterday, the bars spoke out to me more. Fantastic write, this was almost the same thing I thought of while looking at this picture. Sort of scary when we're both on the same wavelength.
ReplyDeleteI loved your take on this photo. You added so many dimensions and such great imagery. Wonderful to read. As Shay said, each word carefully chosen.
ReplyDeleteIncredibly, perfectly beautiful.
ReplyDelete"the making of man" is the line that caught me...both the world and her maybe...her peace and sense of peace becomes a singular life here...very nicce...bkm
ReplyDeleteexcellent hedge...love the pacing and the story you tell...the title carries weight itself...i feel her emotions in your lines...the sail in the wind stripped bare...nice...
ReplyDeletewow - amazing write - love the picture you paint before our eyes with her hanging on the sea, blowing like a sail and the wind stripping her will...excellent
ReplyDeleteI love everything about this from the title to the last word.
ReplyDeleteRiding a blue wind into nowhere...
(I wish I'd written that!)
Reminds Dustus of Sartre?
ReplyDeleteReminds me of The Beatles!!!
This Rocked Hedgie!!!
@ G-man There's a difference???
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. Just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI like the repetition of the "nowhere peace" line and how you tied it up nicely with peace is in "being" - wonderful message , beautifully presented in your work here!
ReplyDeleteYour choice of photo prompt was perfect. Excellent poem, as always full of lyricism and wonderful images. I especially like "the making hand of man". Great title.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully balanced and perfect lines. Your piece stands in direct contrast to mine. We seem to be on a sort of groove lately. Taking ideas and then marching off into opposing or angular directions. This was a stupendous realization of the idea of the prompt. Always fulfilling, Joy.
ReplyDeletethere is such pathos here ~ as 'she hangs on the sea line, blowing'
ReplyDelete'like a sail from the rippling filament' loved this imagery
and nowhere peace.
but she owned the 'symmetry'that 'perfect angled arch ~
this her very being ~ gave peace ~
beautiful
yes, the philo authenticity/of Sartre (and also the Beatles !!) ~ Lib ~ @Libithina
The wind has stripped her will,
Every line necessary and lovely. This to me is a photo that needed to be infused with meaning and you've done it so ably. I love this: above the ever torn and ever mended waves,-- i often wonder if you realize how very good you are-- a natural and a gift to the universe, Joy. xxxj
ReplyDeleteAnd all she can do is stare into the ocean. Great poem.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks all for stopping by on your rounds and leaving your thoughts and input. This was a great group of photos to write to today.
ReplyDeleteHey: not art, not heart, but art after its fall. The quicksilver bead of this babe atop a lost construction amid the erasing breeze and unquiet blue makes for a survival of poem beyond poetry or poetics. Or is this woman just better at it than the boys? (And if so, what's so different between love and poetry? Nothing ...) Of neither land or sea composed, but both. - Brendan
ReplyDeleteso dig this...funny, you've got Sartre..Beatles... but for me, it's pure Davis/Coltrane jazz ~a wonderful weaving of words to rhythm..it makes me wonder how you'd read it... as always, such the wordsmith, but my favorite is "the bleeding words that ran" ~
ReplyDelete"Riding a blue wind" is such an incredible draw. The poem reminds my of Celie's lines in The Color Purple ". . . I may even be ugly, but I'm here. Dear God, I'm here."
ReplyDeleteA blue wind wheeling to a blue nowhere! Like a tinted reality! This beautiful poem scoops up the senses and lets them flounder, delirious in a delicious nowhere!
ReplyDeleteNice! Like others, I'm drawn to the title and to those "ever torn and ever mended waves." But I think I'm most taken by the shift at the end, suggesting the extent to which peace is located in being and not outside the self--that nowhere. You really are knocking these poems out of the ball park this month, Hedge! Great job!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful piece. Makes me think of home, on the sea shore, watching those magical waves...peace.
ReplyDeletei can only echo the others in loving the title, the repetition of "nowhere peace" until the unexpected ending, and the breathtaking line ~
ReplyDelete"above the ever torn and ever mended waves,"