Titanic waves dash shallow dunes,
Whipping marram and couch grass
Into whistling spring-tide siren tunes.
Surges pulverise heaven and earth
And sculpt the beach into a curve.
The suicidal tidal moon surfs
Across the restless sea and laughs
As cottages tumble down the street
Shore bound, where the elements meet,
And disintegrate in gushing foam:
The spring tides swallow hearth and home.
Kim M. Russell, 2017
My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads: On Poetry, Writing & Metaphor – Dreaming with Stacie
This week, Stacie has told us about an article she read over at WriterUnboxed.com that got her thinking about the use of metaphor in writing. She believes that language can never really exist separately from images and sounds in our minds and that there will always be points of intersection as we read and experience any text. She asked why poetry seems to be the medium that contains the most powerful and most universal metaphors for human experience. To answer that, she had to look back at some of her favourite books on poetry, which she has shared with us, together with the insights she took from them.
Stacie has invited us to write a poem based on a specific metaphor. Rather than assigning one to us, she would like us to be guided by our senses. She wants us to take a few moments to sit quietly and focus on an image, a sound, or a smell around us. Which one draws our attention most? Why? What are the words we think of when we see/hear/smell it?
As I live not far from the North Norfolk coast, where we recently had severe flood warning, I focused on a past experience with spring tides.
writing in north norfolk 
I really love the description of the spring tide… the wind and how it whips the grass.. somehow a smelled the salt in your words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that’s a compliment! 😊
LikeLike
“Surges pulverise heaven and earth
And sculpt the beach into a curve.”
These are my favourite lines, here the fury is certainly unleashed
much love…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Gillena – kind of describes my emotions at the moment. Much love back xxx
LikeLike
Can’t “like” the destruction of cottages but there’s wild beauty in such powerful winds & waves!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Lynn!
LikeLike
The suicidal tidal moon surfs
Across the restless sea and laughs
I feel like these lines give away an omen.. perhaps throwing caution to the wind.. Beautifully done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sanaa. This describes exactly how I have been feeling, pathetic fallacy at its best. I hope it will calm down a bit after Mum’s funeral.
LikeLike
Your lyrical poem stimulates the senses to imagine the high tide upon the shore. I especially enjoyed the elements of rhyme you included.
LikeLike
Fabulous ! Such a tour de force Mother Nature. 😇
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dorna!
LikeLike
In these days of turmoil, I appreciate poetry that shows us the guts of destruction–terrible beauty and everything–for it reminds me that even the most powerful storms have to end, and we’ll be there to make homes of driftwood.
LikeLike
Beautifully written, Kim! Exactly the kind of sensual, personal experience where metaphor is at its richest & most powerful. Nature also seems unbreakable from human experience, for in it & of it we were born. Thanks for sharing your voice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the prompt Stacie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really strong and vivid description of the tides.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Rommy!
LikeLike