Knives flash shadows
Not daylight and steel.
Sapphire tumbles,
Churns in the west,
It comes in the afternoon
Spreading grey
And familiarity
And forever.
Then darkness.
So close.
Like a breath behind your ear
That never answers.
Mists in the night
Pour into valleys
And wake for the morning trains
Until afternoon comes
And swallows me whole.
I swirl in the grey.
24 comments:
Nice images, Jason.
Yikes. So gloomy.
After reading your poem, I'm not sure what it says that I love the photo... :)
Bernita, one of the views from my building. :)
Scott, just reflecting on a hard week. Every day it seemed a dark sweep of clouds came in from the west and cast a gloom over everything. Yesterday was brighter. I don't usually emote directly into poems, but this time I wanted to.
Anne, I explained it some in my reply to Scott. BTW, I like the feel of falling that the picture gives.
here it's rain.
there are times the rain seems endless.
this is 1 of those times
though there was a new bird
perched in the kwanzan cherry
i dont know what it was,
like a fly cathcher with a buff-yellow breast and yellow in its tail feathers.
so there's that,
a little yellow surprise amongst the gray
Jason, I thought I'd alert you to Mississippi Review's "Postmodern Pulp" issue, which is still taking submissions through Friday:
http://www.mississippireview.com/upcoming.html
Seems like it's right up your alley. I already submitted a story that I stitched together from my entries in your last two contests.
I feel like I'm falling sideways. Dynamic photo. Do you ever play with your photos in, say, Photoshop, altering lights and shadows?
Dafath, that was a nice moment of color. Thank you sharing it! Like a touch of sunlight on wings.
Pete, I will definitely check that out. Thanks for the heads-up!
Normiekins, thank you, my friend. :)
Fringes, I have a totally unimpressive photo editor where I do touch ups or adjust brightness/contrast and that sort of thing. It's by ArcSoft.
Usually, I try not to change anything, but sometimes correcting this or that makes a huge difference. I'd like to try Photoshop someday and see what I'm missing.
Nice shot!!
If I was with you I would be yelling hurry up and take the picture and get away from the windows. LOL
I am afraid of heights.
I also love the poem.
word verification: the first 3 letters are joy sooo have a joyous afternoon. :)
No warm rays to attract lingerers up to that roof toop patio.
It has been deary for awhile now.
The words seem at first like you hate the weather. But then I read it again, and it's like you're floating in it, lost in it, if only to get away from the realities of daily life.
I hope the "hard week" is at least as fleeting as the mist.
b
Great shot. It is kinda vertigo-inducing.
Calgon, take me away!
Wow, one trippy picture, Jason! Great poem!
What a wonderful photo! And wonderful sad grey words to go with it; But the trouble with being a children's writer is that I'm left hanging, waiting for the hope at the end. 'I swirl in the grey' feels trapping and unhappy. Feel better soon, Jason!
Addy
I think what I enjoy most about your writing is the attention and interest you regularly show in sculpting the surroundings. It's as though the settings are characters in their own right.
I like the picture, but it's making me dizzy, Jason!
Nice verse!
that's beautiful, jason. the building in the photo doesn't look real. almost like a prop.
sorry you've had such a bad week. i wonder if it's true that more great art comes from misery and visual starvation than from contentment and beauty. i think it depends on the individual.
I thought that was wonderful - the imagery was superb, the emotions evoked, intense. You spoke volumes in just three verses.
we liked your poem. x
Beady, standing right up against these windows can be a little intense! Once during a thunderstorm, a window on another floor blew out, so I suppose they're not perfect.
Marcail, I do like the patio element. It's so desolate.
Bekbek, thank you! Yes, I do feel better, even though the weather is not brighter.
Flood, it's easy to feel your stomach go looking at it.
Jaye, oh, that was a flashback moment! As kids we used to LOVE that line!
Kelly, thanks, my friend. :) It's kind of weird being taller than the buildings around us.
Addy, that was very sweet, thank you. :)
JLB, such a wonderful compliment! I love when that element of my writing resonates with people. :)
Jeff, just make sure you have a good grip on the desk while you're looking at it.
Anne, thanks. :) My week is better. Yes, I do think pain is a powerful fuel.
Atyllah, thank for saying so! My poems are usually more structured. It was nice to just pour myself into one for a change.
Anonymous, glad you (plural) did! Thanks for stopping by.
Skyscrapers can pierce the sky and heart in one slant. The color that you create with your thought and words keeps the fog at bay.
...Until afternoon comes
And swallows me whole.
I swirl in the grey.
Mighty fine poetry, Jason.
The picture is fascinating. It looks like a little town, houses and trees, atop the building. The angle gives me the sensation of whirling.
Mermaid, thanks, my friend. :)
KLG, is it a strange perspective, isn't it? I was playing with different orientations and really liked this one. So off balance. Thanks for the kind words!
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