Image: Eroded Coast, Ireland, Fay Collins, oil on board
Eroded Coast, Windswept Man
I’ve been down this rutted path
countless times before
always providing adventure
always something in store
My mind starts to wander
across the meadow verdant green
set surreal against the azure sea
it appears to be a dream
Rickety old fence now barely standing
a shadow of what it used to be
leaning hard and about to fall
seems it is quite similar to me
Autumn harvest now completed
only russet stalks remain
my body cannot hide its age
like this eroded coastal terrain
Bay waters looking calm today
I remember sailing them with ease
but that ship has sailed
windswept body lacks a breeze
Recalling frolics on the island
as the sun begins to set
although my body tattered
my life holds no regrets
——
Linked to dVerse Poets Pub —Tuesday Poetics: Fay Collins revisited!, where Sarah is hosting and prompted us to write an ekphrastic poem about one of Fay Collin’s paintings.
A lovely poem indeed! I nearly used this painting as it spoke to me too. However I settled on another which also spoke to me. What a talent Fay Collins shared in her lifetime.
Thank you. Yes, many great paintings to choose from.
Nice, positive words..
Thanks Ain
Yes, we might be shadows of the what once was and windswept tatters, we hold no regrets! I love this attitude toward life, Ron! Well done.
Thanks Dwight. I believe a good attitude is always healthy.
Absolutely!
Great reflections. Glad you have no regrets.
Ron,
What a clever ekphrasis, engaging in a conversation that arises naturally from the particulars of the painting to arrive at a conclusion: no regrets.
Pax,
Dora
Thank you Dora, I didn’t start out with that idea in mind, but it quickly morphed.
I love the comparison of the scene with the ageing body. It is a gift to be able to look back without regret!
Thanks Ingrid. Maybe a gift, maybe a blind spot.
I like the interplay between body and landscape, almost like a conversation. And, yes, no regrets – what more could we ask for?
Thank you Sarah, thanks for hosting, and thanks for bringing Fay’s work to my attention.
“my body cannot hide its age like this eroded coastal terrain.”.. this is such an apt and moving comparison! Lovely poem! 💝💝
That rutted path down to the sea is truly a memory lane.
I love the comparison between coast and man… all very beautiful!
The image and words work so well together. We may be walking more slowly, but the life still runs though us, always forward toward that blue horizon. (K)
lovely …