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| Eli Edward Evangelidis @eliedwardart Used With Permission |
Let tricorn blade be keen-edged
honed on a serpentine whetstone
and strike throat
like a green stem with fresh cut.
Let blood drop as rowan berries
in the brambles of violent obsession
and gaze upon
death behind obsidian eyes.
Let bitter nor’easter be guide
to you in raven-winged moonlight
when you’ve drunk
from the salt marshes of cruelty.
Art FLASH! features the pen and ink illustration, Beauty Forgotten in Survival's Eyes, by Eli Edward Evangelidis.
Artistic Interpretations with Margaret gave us a list of paint colours to work with and I have included several in this poem.
Here's hoping the beautiful beast strikes first!
ReplyDeleteI bet it will. Beasts are good at staying alive. When they have to.
Deleteyou painted that image with your words :D
ReplyDeleteI am not one to write "dark" poetry and am finding a hard time relating to this - but I LOVE your take and those paint colors really really work well here! Awesome in its sinister beauty.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Margaret. Your colour words were too good to miss. And I am gratified to know that you accepted the challenge, even though you found the darkness difficult to relate to.
DeleteYou’ve used some of the colour names from Margaret’s prompt and focused on the blade, Kerry, ‘honed on a serpentine whetstone’! I especially enjoyed the lines:
ReplyDelete‘Let blood drop as rowan berries
in the brambles of violent obsession’.
Thank you, Kim. I attempted to keep to the 55 words, but went a bit over with so many lovely words to use.
DeleteThis is so beautifully dark... yet I think there is always hope, since there is always easier to find your way to the light in the dark.
ReplyDeleteI think the way we have responded to this image has said a lot about each poet's personality. It is like a psychological test of sorts.
DeleteNice use of Margaret's prompt. So beautiful, harsh, and stark
ReplyDeleteMy goodness this is good!❤️ I am especially struck by the image; "Let blood drop as rowan berries in the brambles of violent obsession." Exquisite write, Kerry!😍😍
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sanaa. I tried to include a few strong images in just a few lines.
DeleteIt's a tough image, for sure, demanding of a more complex response -- a fairy tale fractured by modernity, by the ways we've gotten lost wandering off-script from our grail legend. You write it immaculately, couldn't be more bound to the image. Our hearts now know this place, its wounding peace ...
ReplyDeleteYes, this image strikes one to the core: at essence, kill or be killed. And the forest of our tangled psyches, the serpents that whisper in our ears, the knife, the purity of gods in nature... as you say, it demands a more complex response than mine.
DeleteA nice sitting on edge read, Kerry. Thank you for the prompt today, it was a fun exercise. I was recognizing some of Margaret's colors, and sure enough, they were by a read of your credits.
ReplyDelete..
a dark fairy tale. I thought it best for a short poem rather than a long. Perfect for a 55. "Let blood drop as rowan berries in the brambles of violent obsession". well. another failing of the garden for peace.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have observed of my own garden, a battle rages every day...
DeleteThis has the taste of myth to it; Medea came to mind. I wonder if the subject will ever regret their deeds or will they consider it a fair price for what they receive in exchange.
ReplyDeleteWe could ask ourselves the same question every day of the week.
DeleteSo right-on I don't know what to say, other than I especially liked "from the salt marshes of cruelty."
ReplyDeleteI love the way you worked Margaret's colour words in. I am sad for the creature, and can see the blood, red as rowan berries. I, too, admire "the salt marshes of cruelty."
ReplyDeleteI am glad this line has worked so well. It was the one part of the poem I struggled to phrase.
DeleteStrikingly beautiful. The salt marshes of cruelty is a wonderful line.
ReplyDeleteI really love how your poem embraced so many of the images in the drawing--literally and metaphorically. By the time I finished reading, I could feel the slash of sharp blade of grass and taste the red salt that comes with that.
ReplyDeleteYay! I do so love to know that the reader has a sensory response to my words. Thanks, Mag!
DeleteWhoosh! Yes, let the lovely beast escape that blade. This is wow. I don't think I have the capacity to write to this image but who knows. Such a great challenge, Kerry.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a challenging picture for many, as we tend to shy away from the suggestions of cruelty. But the sacrifice of beauty can work on many levels.
Delete'Let blood drop as rowan berries- wow. Incredible Kerry.
ReplyDeletei like the violent obsession....the grabs my mind...bkm
ReplyDeleteBeautifully dark... I too am struck by the "violent obsession." Beautifully crafted from image and color choices.
ReplyDelete