Wednesday 7 March 2012

The Sea Horse

The prompt for this week's 100 Word Challenge is a picture.


The driftwood horse at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK





Isn't he stunning? 

My entry is a poem, The Sea Horse




The unbound tide has chased him,
the bone horse, raced him to mere
tracery, beached him, flittered and 
sand-blasted him smooth as silk.


Then the tide caressed him,
the sea horse, to moon-bleached 
bones; his hide forfeit, his
ribs pleached to lacy fretwork.

He rears from the waves, the
bone horse, staves off the 
tide's undoing and braves the
brittle judgement of the air.

He is lit from within, the 
sea horse; sinew and blood
effaced, his silken bones
encasing airy light and liquid grace.

Proudly he stands, the sea horse,
the bone horse, for he has won the race.






More driftwood horses by Heather Jansch


How strange - this is my second filigree horse this week. 
Here's the other one!

And, here is some more of Heather Jansch's fantastic work to inspire your dreams

18 comments:

  1. This worked beautifully as a poem. Thank you for adding some other examples of her work.
    I can't pick out a favourite part of the poem as the whole piece is so well constructed (like the sculptures!)

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  2. Lorely, this has just left me speechless. It's one of my favourite ones this week.

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    1. Thank you, S-J. I am touched that you think so.

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  4. This is gently beautiful. And believable. So far, nothing has suggested itself to me that has made me want to write anything for this challenge. The sculpture is so perfect I had felt none of my ideas added.
    But this poem does.
    Well done.

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    1. Thank you Isobel. Sorry - can't edit comments on blogspot, but I've copied it and deleted the original!
      I'm glad you liked the poem.

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  5. Lol, my tuppence-worth: forget the book for a while... write poetry ! Beautiful.

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  6. This is so beautiful I am speechless. The language just flows musically and magically. Thank you for writing this piece.

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  7. This is gorgeous. Your word craft is outstanding.

    'Then the tide caressed him,
    the sea horse, to moon-bleached
    bones; his hide forfeit, his
    ribs pleached to lacy fretwork.'

    This verse is so good it gives me goose bumps.
    Thank you so much for writing xx

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  8. DancingInTheRain8 March 2012 at 20:51

    Beautiful. Excellent. Outstanding writing.

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  9. Oh wow. Stunning, stunning writing. I absolutely LOVE this. 'Airy light and liquid grace', just wonderful.

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  10. Beautifully written, and so perfect for the prompt, I could envision it so clearly. Your way with words works well in poetic form. Love the picture of the other horses.

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  11. Wow that is clever AND you have extra photos too which are utterly fascinating.
    Beautiful poem and stunning photography

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  12. Thank you all SO much. I am very touched and rather speechless myself, at so many really lovely comments. Thank you.

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  13. What a beautiful poem, very touching and well written. x

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  14. Loved the poem and the addition of more driftwood horses to emphasise the prompt. :)

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