Midnight in the Sea of Darkness
Stealing
silently from the shallow depths
of the offshore shoals
Darkness
stolen from the holds
of a thousand sunken ships
Crept
to the broad base
of the tapered, towering torch
Enshrouding
the magnificence of a midnight sun
in the fog of a final farewell
Swallowing
the hulk of a stranded ship
within the silence of the sea
Anchoring
yet another immortal member
of a fleet frozen in darkness
Standing Alone, Dwight’s poem at Roth Poetry, brought to mind this poem, written in 1998.
The background image is a print from an engraving by John Horsburg of J. M. W. Turner’s artwork of Bell Rock Lighthouse during a storm from the northeast, available at The Library of Congress and found at Wikimedia Commons.
Being in a storm at sea in a small ship must be terrifying. I’m fascinated by shipwrecks though.
I like the way you placed your poem on the image. I like Turner. I didn’t know there were engravings of his work.
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Thank you, Merril. The Wiki page says it was an illustration in: Robert Stevenson, An Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
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Oh–I guess I could have checked, Ken. That makes perfect sense, a book illustration. Thank you! 🙂
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🙂
As it turns out, there are quite few engraving of his work out there. I just found this site, which makes them available: http://www.darvillsrareprints.com/JMW%20Turner%20original%20engravings%20Art%20Journal%201875-1881%20folio%202.htm
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Cool–although I like his actual paintings more. Did you ever see that movie about him, Mr. Turner?
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I haven’t seen it, but I just found it at my library, reserved it, and will pick it up on Monday. Thank you!
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You’re welcome. 🙂
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Ensnaring poetry, Ken. Loved it.
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Thank you, Steve.
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Love your poem Ken! The image of the ghosts ships buried in the deep give a vivid picture of the danger at hand. Thanks for referencing my poem as well.
Dwight
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Thank you, Dwight.
And you’re welcome.
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