They entered and stood, stony and staid;
Nothing that’ll stir your heart as you
moved
Punctual and fast in well-mannered calm,
Straight along tracks of Bakerloo line.
All with the newspapers flung open wide
Or tapped into headphones of exile of
sorts:
Clusters of islands on move.
But there they had sat, her fingers in his
Even as he covered his eyes and sighed
As she looked on and pressed his hand
tight;
Veins full of reciprocal tears.
Perhaps she had whispered, ‘Are you
alright?
Perhaps a more consoling commonplace it
was.
A long look followed their words and nods
And sighs that entwined their fingers more
close,
Knotted into unflappable strength.
Stations and colours and people had passed,
There they had stayed unmoved.
Locked in my heart, I left them as such:
Arundel tomb in Waterloo Thames .
[The poem is inspired by a real life event framed by a poem and an image: the following are the links to the poem by Larkin and the image of the actual Arundel Tomb
18 comments:
You combine imagery and emotion so well.
Third stanza, while not showy has tight force: "Veins full of reciprocal tears".
This is a very moving poem, Abin. You have created a vivid picture of this couple at the tomb..
How very interesting. I like the way you added a very real modern and human element into the scene.
You have captured this event so well with your words that I can see them there, a still couple in the midst of the moving crowd. Lovely, Abin, and nice to meet you as I am foraging around in the Pantry!!!!
What an interesting tomb and image for your inspirational post ~
I like the creative take specially entwined fingers, beings full of reciprocal tears ~
Awww...that is so touching. To think they hold hands into forever. Your prose was vivid even without the link to the picture but, the picture adds so much more to the imagery of your prose.
A really lovely write.
No need to say much but very kewl scribe
Beautiful; I agree with the comments above. I have occasionally fantasized--and even wished--that things remain behind as I left them. It's an odd little game, as if, for example, I could turn the radio on hours later and it would still be playing the song from when I turned it off. Sometimes a computer will oblige.
You made the 'stony and staid' very much alive. I looked at the picture and realized your imagery captured it very well, Abin!
Hank
interesting, and i really like "headphones of exile of sorts."
Like poems, pictures can often say as much as we want them to say. Vivid picture 'written' of the scene. Well done.
"And sighs that entwined their fingers more close,
Knotted into unflappable strength." beautiful poem through and through.
A cinematic pan across the crowd, then close in on the couple. We get a glimpse, a tidbit of conversation. And we want more.
http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2012/06/18/tucson-summer/
^ What they all said above, and adding my own, "Wow you have done something really amazing here!"
Third stanza is my favourite too - full of emotion...
Beautiful images and really meditative space. The comment above is right. Nice, deep, musing.
very cool - an inspiring place
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