One year ago or thereabout,
I was standing on my sandbridge at St Ninian and watched folk row in the distance.
I had the whole beach to my feet and came back home with bits and bolts from evening walk and made the most of this day-dream by engraving those words in ink after freeing them from the kelp...
One moment capsule in one grain where one tide rocks symetrical.
Today i dream of craft builders who would understand the Atlantic, the deep meaning of humli- baand.............
So there it is without further introduction.
They’re rowing,
curved silhouettes towards fringe of one horizon
they’re rowing,
out to ocean they dream to tame
they’re rowing,
oar against kabe, same humli-baand
they’re rowing,
palms against wood create friction
they’re rowing,
clockwork bodies, mechanical
away from all familiar craigs,
elliptic bays,
light selkies songs –
temptation fae da waterhorse
they’re rowing
and I watch you barefoot in sand.
Poet’s notes:
Kabe: wooden pice holding the oar in place; humli-band: a piece of rope keeping oar to the kabe.
© Nat Hall 2009
And oh, this piece was well received at last year's Creative Connections.
The 2 line stanzas when read aloud are in a rowing time and motion. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteHi Gordon,
ReplyDeleteThank you for dropping in.
Hey, this is exactly how it is intended :-)
Its rhythm allows the rower's pace inside each wave... I can hear each crack in the yoal's rivetted hull as well! ...Movement of the oar.