Saturday, June 25, 2011

A river of emotion (a poem)

John Atkinson Grimshaw 1878:
The Lady of Shalott














A River of Emotion


She sleeps on a floating river
drifting beneath her

body supine
undulating on a silky wave

of feeling nothing more
than the water's flow

passing beneath
her weightless body

endlessly drifting
into eternal release

a sea of emotions
crowding up against

wisps of memory lapping
gently at her fingertips

tracing memory's path
leaving not a trace

of time passing
on the river of emotion

where she lays sleeping.

***************************************



A Note on the Poem


As I was reading Maureen's Saturday Sharing (My finds are yours) column this morning, the title of a book she mentions triggered an image of John Wodehouse's painting depicting Alfred Lord Tennyson's epic poem, The Lady of Shalott.


From that image, a line drifted through my mind with the effortless ease of water flowing in a river.


...and from that line, the poem took form...


Thanks Maureen for the inspiration! It was fun -- and yes, you're right, that isn't Wodehouse's Lady of Shalott -- while one of my favourites, Grimshaw's painting is actually the one that triggered my muse to awaken.

So... here's the invitation. Check out Maureen's blog today and see if you can identify the muse's inspiration.

10 comments:

Maureen said...

Fortunately, I can id the title!

I like a lot how the meaning of lines in 1st-3rd couplets can shift depending on how the reader pauses: "She sleeps on a a floating river/drifting..." and
"... a wave// of feeling nothing more..."

Thank you for the call-out. Have a marvelous weekend.

Ruth said...

Oh I want to feel "nothing more / than the water's flow."

I also love your post about Evolutionary change, and your honest reflections on what you do here. It is not unnatural or unwelcome, I think, to reassess what we do in our spaces. To reexamine our expressions as we examine our souls is a constant feed. Sometimes I go through almost depression, especially as I compare myself with others and their expressions. Then I somehow let go of that and find my voice and my work again. Daily practice is incredibly great, and I admire what you do here more than I can say. It is first and foremost for you, and as you say, it's a wonder and fortune to witness one another.

Claudia said...

oh i so like the flow of your words and you paint such a_peaceful mood, just like in the painting...floating...beautiful

Louise Gallagher said...

Thank you Maureen -- I am in awe of how one line in your blog brought all of this to my awareness!

Louise Gallagher said...

So true Ruth -- to reexamine is essential to creating more of what I want in my life. - which is authenticity, integrity, love, joy...

And writing here every day has honed my craft and taught me to trust in the muse and allow the flow to drift unimpede by my thinking I have the answers.

Thank you!

Louise Gallagher said...

Oh Claudia -- thank you -- I read your poetry and am in awe of how your words flow and paint such incredible pictures.

Thank you! :)

Reflections said...

What a wonderful piece. Drifting along the flow of the waters... gently floating onward.

Louise Gallagher said...

HI Reflections! Thanks so much for droppinng in.

BTW -- the photography over at your blog -- http://reflections-dreams.blogspot.com/ are beautiful. So are your poems. Lovely!

Unknown said...

beautiful.

Unknown said...

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