Singing The Cuttlefish
I.
From the green seagrass
I learned to sway light,
tattoo canticles of blue
to move standing still
so life stands still with me,
primeval, mud-
knowing but suddenly
unable to fear.
Who really sees
in the short sharpened time
between hatch,
heat and shred
to seabed
to seabed
except the ones
who long for me to
glow?
55 psychedelic cephalopods for the g-man
II.
Powder
me
with darkness
ink my skin
with ripples, camouflage cuttlefish shadow
stripes to flicker me frightening, wrong; fatality focused.
Shine the lost light to find me here
exposed on the lavarock naked
waiting for what
will never
stay
away.
~August 2013
Optional Viewing Accompaniment
to move standing still so life stands still with me....cool, though waiting for what will not stay away def has an ominous tone to it surely....cuttle fish, honestly i dont know much of them....smiles.
ReplyDeleteReally love "powder me with darkness" and every line. It's a gift you have, making those cuttlefish sound so beautiful
ReplyDelete..to move, standing still. One would think this impossible. But after two years of swimming lessons at the YMCA, my first born son (at the age of 7) took a swimming test. He appeared to do everything correctly - the free style swim stroke - but he didn't move forward one inch. It was so funny - I literally cried with laughter. My poor son was in tears too, but I couldn't help it. I still giggle today. My little cuttlefish...
ReplyDeletePoor kid--swimming is very complicated! There is one kind of cuttlefish that doesn't swim at all, but walks on its fins and tentacles--totally bizarre.
DeleteNow those ancient creature are FINALLY immortalized!!
ReplyDeleteAll it takes is to be noticed by you.
Loved your poetically nautical 55
Thank You once again Mistress of Mirth.
Such a sweet soul you are.
Have a Kick Ass Week-End
Beautiful capture of this stillness:
ReplyDeleteshort sharpened time
between hatch,
heat and shred
Your Fib form is a lovely example Hedge ~ "Powder me with darkness" whew ~ I hope to write one during the weekend ~
You've caught the unique oddness of this strange sea creature, while hitting the proverbial nail on the head. No one really does see us except those who see us best.
ReplyDeleteBoth poems or the collective one beautiful. I personally like the idea of swaying light, which is just so apt here, and so unique really. Wonderful verb and adverb use here and I love the word mud-knowing. k.
ReplyDeleteThanks k--they are fascinating. If you ever have a chance, I highly recommend the Nova episode about them. They are supposed to have the largest brains of any cephalopod--as big as octopi--very crafty creatures, but also very whimsical I think.
DeleteYou always find the most interesting creatures to write about!
ReplyDeleteThey are fascinating creatures. I'd love to go see them for myself someday.
ReplyDeleteGreat poems that capture these fascinating creatures beautifully. I don't know much about them either though know a little more today. I just love their colours. Really enjoyed my visit, thank you.
ReplyDeleteWow, even in the strangest of fish is seen with beauty in your words. Both of these are exceptional!
ReplyDeleteCuttlefish is just fun to say. What an awesome (and unusual) poetic subject, hedgewitch. I loved them both!
ReplyDeleteBoth poems are as fascinating as the little creatures you describe. I agree with Talon - who would have thought to turn cuttlefish into poetry?
ReplyDeleteAh. Reading Fibonacci article. So interesting to see film and think of sequencing in nature. Cool to revisit your poem in this light as I'd not focused on it before. Love the powder in the wet-- most try to keep their powder dry but the way that looks undersea. Sorry on iPhone so a little more incoherent than usual-- the inked ripples also so apt and the ending especially so-- I see creatures on wet rocks-- and water sloping over through the wait. I'd paid more attention to 55 before so glad if revisit. K.
ReplyDeleteSupposed to be "of" revisit.
Delete"in the short sharpened time
ReplyDeletebetween hatch,
heat and shred..."
So love the almost hissing sound of these descriptive words.
But the lines that sing for me are:
"Powder
me
with darkness..."
Such a beautiful weave and wave of images.
I love surreal dream like imagery here great poem!
ReplyDeleteThere are some quite sizable beasts lurking off the Baja California coast, a type of squid that informs nightmares- the Humboldt.
ReplyDeleteI admire both poems: in the first, the closing question squirts ink right in your eye, and in the second, the opposing two lines freeze you. ~ M
Reading your poems felt like tripping the light fantastic .. under water. How amazing.
ReplyDeleteWow these were amazing! I love so many lines~ I love "ink my skin" I guess I prefer the second one!
ReplyDeleteHedge you dazzle me with Cuttlefish :D
yessssss.
ReplyDeleteWhat a revelation - I didn't know anything about cuttlefish at all; and what a fine metaphor for being without moving, for anticipation, for expectation and resolution. Written, as always in your fresh language and innovative manner. Wow!
ReplyDeleteWow, this was fun, and I learned so much by following the Wiki link. First I discovered a whole new threatened species about which I can fret when I have nothing else to do, and I discovered how much I have in common with the cuttlefish, which are "able to channel most of their energy directly into growth because they spend 95% of the day resting". Me to a T: doing nothing and gaining weight.
ReplyDeleteThe fib form fascinates me, too, Hedge. Unfortunately, I can't remember the number sequence, so I have to be looking right at it as I write. I find that, for me, the 0 line works best, whereas your longest line is lovely.
I'll have to work on that.
K
Kay, you're making me laugh way too hard here--I do know exactly what you mean about the conserved energy turning directly into growth. Growth is such a nice, positive word! I think familiarity with the form--ie, doing it over and over--is all that will make the numbers come unconsciously. I've noticed that with other forms--each one I write is less of a look first write second thing. Thanks for reading, and for your most entertaining perspective on it all.
DeleteI do my "going nowhere in one place" on my treadmill. I think I am a cousin to the Cuttlefish. Love your words as always. "to move standing still so life stands still with me" There are times when all is well that I wish I could do that. Both poems are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to show my kids the cuttlefish. Interesting creature. A touch of the prophetic and sinister in your close. I love your way with words Hedge.
ReplyDelete