Wednesday, November 10

November writes a Poem about Me

Today for the PoemADay challenge I was going to write about soup and sunshine. I didn't though because I remembered some unfinished ideas that were inspired by a recent viewing of Edward Burtynsky's "Oil" photography exhibit at the Alberta Art Gallery:

Reflecting on OIL

desolate beauty
seasick aesthetics cruise tailings "ponds"
toxic art with glowing prowess.
Detach myself
you draw me in closer.

In a trance I cannot comprehend
reflection appears lovely
but my heart retracts lonely
confused and longing
Portrait of destruction
continued industrial beauty
at expense of nature's duty.
Suffocating repetition
I cannot destroy you
I cannot destroy you.

Divine image of this Sacrosanct view
pedestal of smog to engulf former truths
with allies too slick and enemies few
I cannot destroy you
I cannot destroy you.

Oh desolate beauty that causes me pain
exceptional consumption
giggles insane
hollow echoes under fire
as our truth melts under tires


I am but a girl in green
dreaming of green
torn from the green
hungry for green

while you, portrait of annihilation,
completely vast, shiny false-clean
exudes a nauseating scene
junks food of green.

And I weep as the source grows shallow
lulled to sleep by the force once hallow
our deep green you made sallow.


LyndiaP November 10, 2010 (for PoemADay 10 of 30)

2 comments:

  1. I visited the Burtynsky exhibit a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a powerful show and since Burtynsky didn't do any commentary it is interesting to see the audience's reaction. I know some of my younger "activist" friends feel the same way you do; while older folks I've talked to seemed to just talk about engineering issues and technical advances. :/ (But not all were like that, some of them talked about their grandkids and such, so there is that hope I guess.)

    Focusing on your poem, I like the flow, or I suppose, the lack of flow. It is suitable for the poem's theme of confusion and desolation. The repetition of "I cannot destroy you" is also a good technique since it marks anger and turmoil.

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  2. Thanks Alex!

    Again, I also did a bit of updating and editing to this on paper (and even read it at last night at my Stroll of Poet's 'scheduled reading' ).

    I appreciate your thoughts about the lack of artist commentary but rather to listen to the response of the audience. I like hearing what others had to say too and was amazed, inspired and shocked at some of the comments I heard on opening night.

    one in particular which I believe was honest and serious: "oooh! Look at that one! I really that one. What would it be like to live there?" "Oh, yes! That is so beautiful. Wouldn't that be great?"

    It just made me realize how two people can see something, the exact same thing, in a VERY different way.

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