Observing

By Parson Thru

Sun, 01 Dec 2019
  • 1679 reads
10 comments
 

This place has no equivalent
This moment, no sequel

Like the river flowing past
Chilled, sluggish, barely breaking up the sky

Heraclitus has it

If I could only paint it…

The narrowboat moored under Scarboro’ Bridge
Sinking in its own reflection
Stern askew
Low sun glancing red and green

Middle ground ripples, concentric, drifting
Calling hidden depths to consciousness
Skimmed by dipping gulls

Passers-by in twos and threes, sporadic
Frequency increasing with the rising sun
Homing in on Lendal, Coney Street,
pop-up huts of Parliament Street market

Motionless beneath the tree
Observing, heron-like
I feel the chill creep into my bones

Certificate U
Poem
Parson Thruses Dairy
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Not sure about the subject-object thing with the last three lines.

Fixed it, I think.

Parson Thru

Submitted by celticman on

can't help with subject object, or poetry in general, but hey, I liked it. I learned about Heraclitus the obscure, shit, know the feeling. 

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Bit of a one old Heraclitus, celt. Cheers mate!

Parson Thru

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I like the crisp scene you draw, or maybe rather video of the time observing. The cold morning emanates from Motionless beneath the tree Observing, heron-like,  hugging in against the cold! Is the reference to Heraclitus to do with feeling the unity of the passing, momentary scene? Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Hi Rhiannon. Thank you.

I got colder than I'd planned in the end.

It refers to his (reported) idea that we can never step in the same river twice.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Is this a WCW inspired one? I like how it goes in stripes, stillness, movement, stillness etc, ending with you heron-still, fishing what you see. And the gulls going into the cold water and the cold going into you

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Hi Di. Unconsciously maybe. I suppose that's influence for you. Did you see the documentary about Seamus Heaney the other night? He gets into my bones a bit as well.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Di_Hard on

We don't have telly, but he is my most contemporary fave :0) You can taste his words almost. I saw one about him decades ago, and he read a poem about a well, (I think, some sort of water) and I still remember him saying, slowly "equilibrium brim". The only poetry by anyone I can remember :0) He relished the sounds of words

Have you read Edward Thomas writing about his friendship with Robert Frost?

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57208/the-sun-used-to-shine

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Best four words in the English language.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Parson Thru on

No. But I'm about to....

Lovely.

Parson Thru