Thrusting up seventy-five black iron steps
on chipped paint with edges decayed by salt
I twisted up round and around white bricks
caressed the exposed mortar with wet fingers
tracing for a groove under the beveled lens.
A voice floated up through the spiral,
a folk song sung from a face far below.
Between vertigo and spin I was lost in wonder.
A seagull spasmed against the glass
and shocked me to my senses.
There are things under the feathers, things
hidden from the dust that clenches the throat
with the dry fingers of remembrance.
That time on the last night when the sky exploded.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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I LOVE this, gerry.
ReplyDeleteThere ARE things under the feathers.
@Barbara: Thanks, Ms. M. My output has diminished quite a bit I fear. Too much stimulation out here on the road and not enough time to process it. Ha!
ReplyDeleteBetween vertigo and spin I was lost in wonder... that line spoke to me. I relate to the sensation. Perhaps, it, too, perfectly describes the feeling when one has endured too much stimulation.
ReplyDelete@KIm: Glad you could relate Kim. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed that one quite a bit, Gerry. thanks for it. for some reason it took me back to an old favourite video game...(Ultima 9, in fact; there is a very scenic lighthouse there!) - hope the seagull was OK...
ReplyDeletePeter
this is just beautiful, the narration, the spiral, the looking down and around and the startle.... amazing. i loved how it felt to read it, first silently and then aloud. great work, gerry.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I wonder whose ghosts might haunt it?
ReplyDelete@old 333: The fact that it took you somewhere is more important to me than where that somewhere is. Thanks for responding.
ReplyDelete@Harlequin: Thanks. It's a little on the simple side but I'm glad you liked it.
@Tess: Yes, the place had a spooky mystique.
Hello Gerry,
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely .
to read this poem and to almost make the journey with you.
The spiral stairs not only led me upwards, in the lighthouse, but evoked memories for me, of my daughter's appartment in Germany. A seemingly never ending, stone staircase, ten floors up, into the loft area, spiralling forever!
Good luck on the road,
Best wishes, Eileen
@Eileen: thanks. Don't you just love spiral staircases?
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this - took me back to my own visits to lighthouses, but definitely you added your own 'spin'...!
ReplyDelete@Antonioni: Cheers friend.
ReplyDelete