The sky above the fields is patched
with clouds; the pale and wild blue
yonder gapes through ragged holes,
wrestling with purple mist to peep,
making promises it may never keep.
All the while, the green hill’s spine
is stretched out on the far horizon,
where it meets with heaven
smiling at the steadfast grass
seeds, waiting for the wind to pass
and pluck them from their fragile heads,
scatter them skyborne, gustily spread.
Kim M. Russell, 21st May, 2019
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Ekphrastic poems – Mary Frances, also linked to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Tuesday Platform, also linked to earthweal open link weekend #70
Sarah is our host this Tuesday, together with an artist she found on Twitter called Mary Frances, a UK-based artist working with photographs, found materials, collage, and cut-up texts.
Sarah has provided links to examples of her recent work. She has also shared some of her Twitter art, which she finds inspirational, particularly her tiny, found landscapes, which Sarah says are like stage sets for a folktale. She asks us to choose pictures that speak to us and write poems for them.
I love those pale blue skies, those ragged holes. This is beautiful, such a light touch you have here.
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It had to be a light touch with that image, Sarah. Mary Frances has a delicate brushstroke.
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Aren’t you from East Anglia or Lincolnshire, Kim? This sounds like your kind of landscape. Vivid anyway.
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Originally from London, I’ve been living in North Norfolk for 27 years. Most definitely my kind of landscape!
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I thought you lived in the water world 🙂
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🙂
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What a beautiful description. I could see it all, it reads so dreamily………….
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Thank you, Sherry.
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Nice line: “smiling at the steadfast grass”
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Thank you, Frank!
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I love the landscape you describe.. even if the sky cannot keep its promises
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Especially where I love, Bjorn, the sky is so bad at keeping promises – it was clear and blue today, the sun was shining, but there was and is such a chill.,
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beautiful words kim
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Thank you!
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Mmm… I love days with the right balance of clouds and wind. I know it’s heresy for a suburbanite to like any sort of free floating seed that might invade a carefully manicured lawn, but I love seeing them fly.
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Me too!
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I love the grass heads, waiting for the wind to pass and “gustily spread”. You did an amazing job of describing this piece of work, Kim.
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Thank you, Jade.
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You are welcome, Kim.
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What an apt description of this piece Kim.
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I like Mary Frances’ art very much.
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I do too.
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Your lovely poem is a perfect match to the art work. Ekphrasis is always fun, a kick start for any number of poetics. I took one of her links to find my favorite image.
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Thank you, Glenn,. I enjoy ekphrastic writing. I used to write regularly for Visual Verse but I couldn’t keep up with all the different prompts.
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Ah, these well-wrought images are glorious in this panoramic view. This is excellent: “the green hill’s spine/is stretched out on the far horizon,/where it meets with heaven/smiling at the steadfast grass/seeds”.
Beautifully written, Kim! It represents the source of inspiration so very well.
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Thank you so much, Anmol.
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This is incredibly stunning, Kim! ❤️ I love the grass heads, waiting for the wind to pass and “gustily spread.” 😀
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Thank you, Sanaa. There’s something about drifting grass seeds that makes me feel lazy.
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I can see this, the wind spreading those seeds.
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Thank you, Mary.
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This was nice reading, it fit us nicely. Our wind this weekend was so strong that it blew the petals off our Lily of the Nile plant. It was blowing clouds north very fast, I like to watch fast moving clouds. These were filled with water from the Gulf (of Mexico) to dump on North Texas and Oklahoma. Mo rain here.
..
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Thanks Jim. We’re expecting rain this weekend.
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I like the image of sky patched with clouds….
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You’ve made that image speak.
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scatter them skyborne,….this can be for seeds and for souls…sometimes the soul needs a skyborne trip of renewal….thank you…bkm
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Thank you, Barbara.
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Poetry that speaks to my soul …. thank you.
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Thank you for reading and commenting, He!en.
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I think you have truly captured the beauty of the photo. This part is my favorite.
All the while, the green hill’s spine
is stretched out on the far horizon,
where it meets with heaven
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Thank you so much!
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How beautiful 🙂
“All the while, the green hill’s spine
is stretched out on the far horizon,
where it meets with heaven”
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How beautiful 🙂
“All the while, the green hill’s spine
is stretched out on the far horizon,
where it meets with heaven”
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Thank you so much, Christine! 🙂
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You & Mary Frances co-created a lovely scene with this expansive sky, blustery wind, and tiny grass seeds! I appreciate your clever use of rhyme throughout.
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Thank you very much, Lynn, for such kind words.
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Wonderful how life stretches out to the accommodations of earthly forces to make itself known and endure — fine way of saying it here! The observing eye loving, painterly, pleased with the news. -B
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Quite deliciously beautiful.
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Thank you, Lindi!
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I like your use of enjambment here Kim, which gives the reader time to really pause and consider the unfolding skyscape.
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Thank you, Ingrid. I love your close reading and comments.
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Very Turner-esque, both image and words. (K)
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Thanks Kerfe.
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I love that green spine. Such lovely visuals in this poem.
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Thank you, Sherry.
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Very beautiful – a song of landscape.
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Thank you so much.
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