Tag Archives: poetry

Juxtaposte

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A low-angle photograph taken on the Cape to Cape Track in Western Australia. The image shows the silhouetted outline of native Australian shrubs and bushes against a wide, overcast sky. The photo's quiet, observational quality sets the scene for the poem, which juxtaposes various moments and observations from the walk.


it happens that
Lady Gaga plays
Do What You Want 
as I drive pass
retreats Seventh Day Adventist
and Anglican in turn

(featuring R. Kelly [Explicit])

 

with ped on pedal
at a constant 90
that moment ticks faster
in an instant of klicks
than the driver’s wit

(debating adjectives)

 

24 hours later
turning onto Smith’s Beach
footsore from first legs
it happens that they drive pass
2 white haired grannies
gleefully lick magnums
in a white elantra

(incongruous)

 

*walking the Cape to Cape Track

Days 0 and 1

 

 

 

Consumption

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DSC00962

The lesson from history and nature is

adapt and survive

It is roots in rock

eking spare moisture
from minute fissures in time
to pry the jagged jaws
too thirsty yet to ever stand
closer than several cracks apart

It is fleshy welwitschia

named mirabilis
reputed to live
two full millennia
with just two leaves and
elephants about to shred them for dinner

The lesson from history and nature is

to love the feast
to love it fully
to await it humbly
to expect it
never

Palmweg Concession, Namibia

December 2013

first published on salt.org.sg

sink

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A dramatic, vertical photograph of the Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cisterns) in Istanbul. The image captures a long tunnel with vaulted brick ceilings and a series of columns reflected in a large pool of water on the floor. The space is dimly lit by warm, reddish-orange light that creates a striking glow and a long reflection. The title "sink" plays on the literal sense of the water-filled space, while also suggesting a metaphorical "sinking" into the depths of history and the architectural marvel of the underground cistern.

built beneath basilica
for khans and kings
to funnel drink
to store snow
centuries ago
long before freon
savouring summer cocktail
with turkish delight

what think
the two medusa heads
upside down
and layabout
of recent developments

gone primetime
as thrilling locale
in Dan Brown’s latest book?

Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cisterns)
Istanbul

thumb

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after the sun has set 
the tide receded
the speedboat moored
our gadgets stored
the things of man
and those afore
retired
retreated

a modern lamp
combines with
timeless sand
to cast this print

A close-up, high-contrast, black-and-white image of a patch of sand, illuminated by a single, focused light source. The texture of the sand is sharply defined, creating a pattern of small ridges and depressions that strongly resembles a human fingerprint or thumbprint, alluding to the post's title and its exploration of the human 'print' or mark on nature. The light casts a shadow that emphasizes the intricate, repeating patterns.

Lateral Thinking

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belly pork

layer cake

dawn crack

day break

A photograph showcasing distinct horizontal layers: a textured expanse of turquoise water at the bottom, topped by a thin, bright horizon line, above which stretches a vast, dark blue-grey sky filled with heavy clouds. The composition emphasizes these stratified layers, mirroring the theme of the post suggested by phrases like "layer cake" and the concept of "lateral" perspectives, where different levels or aspects are considered side by side. The image evokes a sense of depth and the interplay between different atmospheric and aquatic strata. This photo was taken in the Maldives.

Blood-lines

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DSC00538Coming into Windhoek

underwing
the lazy rust of
blood-stained sheets
left too many weeks
dry-aged

everywhere you look
there’s inspiration enough to entitle
a season of Mentalist episodes
I entertain a Hollywood plot
a tragic crash
untimely end
our blood and guts
spilt Chinese lacquer
seeping into copper

rather too fanciful
I admit

were we truly to fall
grey metal mote would be all
barely denting
dusky damask

December 5, 2013

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The photograph presents a majestic lion resting on a sun-drenched, rocky terrain. The lion, a young male with a developing mane, is captured in a low-angle shot, emphasizing its powerful presence. Its gaze is directed forward, an alert and intelligent look in its golden-brown eyes, framed by tufts of fur. The composition places the lion centrally, its body angled slightly to the left, with its front paws elegantly extended forward. The surrounding environment is a landscape of scattered, rough-h
 
the night Mandela died
it seemed that every being
retired to mourning
muting hush 
 
plains once dazzle a dozen 
become bereft of black striped tan
hyenas held their laughter
holed up in their dens
jackals even lost
their unstinting hunger
no springboks no oryx
no kudus no ostrich
 
at dawn this land
lay barren as we passed
till beyond Fells Spring
we saw the king himself
and then
as if the moment marked
returning back the way we’d come 
his subjects danced 

Six Rhinos Sighting

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One late morning in Tintswalo
six rhinos stepped onto the road
only minutes from the lodge
while our eyes were on the warthogs
i felt it, the rush, the stir
the fist around my heart but
it was my first trip out
and the moment’s grip on me
was stronger than mine on it  

Tutta is 9 years old
a young black who’s already lost one calf this year
her number one, three years old, has left home
alone she alternates seasons in the Palmweg
we’ve driven three hours through volcanic sere
to hear the walkie talkie tracking 
of a sighting 
a family 
two boys
and a spot under Mocampo tree
this time i know better
i snap her up

 

A lone rhinoceros stands amidst a rugged, rocky terrain under the dappled shade of a sparse, leafy tree. The rhinoceros, a striking pale grey, is positioned slightly off-center to the left, its powerful body facing mostly towards the viewer. Its horn is clearly visible, sharp and pointed, and its large ears are alert. The ground is a mosaic of red-brown rocks of varying sizes, interspersed with dry, brittle-looking vegetation. In the background, a more substantial tree with a pale, gnarled trunk

Fake

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This photograph captures a dramatic and fiery sky, devoid of any land or horizon. The composition is entirely filled with a turbulent expanse of clouds, painted in intense hues of deep crimson, vibrant orange, and smoldering red. These brilliant colors are contrasted by darker, brooding masses of purple and charcoal gray clouds that swirl and intermingle, creating a sense of depth and movement. The lighting is that of a sunset or sunrise, with the low-angled sun aggressively illuminating the und

if you’re not so good
at taking the shot
it’s best to go where
the shot makes you

 

Sunset, Desert Rhino Camp 

Evening Shades

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The photograph captures a scene of a safari-style lodge at dusk, bathed in the deep, inky blue of the twilight sky. The main subject is a long, canvas tent structure, extended by a covered veranda that runs along its front. Warm, inviting light spills from within the tent and from overhead lights on the veranda, illuminating a series of tables and chairs, suggesting a communal dining or gathering space. Silhouetted against this light, indistinct figures can be discerned, adding a touch of life t

we meet up again
at desert rhino camp
in the Palmweg Concession
 
at communal dinner 
it turns out Sasha drinks 
red wine even vodka 
it’s just champagne 
bungs up his tummy
he confides i discover
warm and funny
it’s his stutter keeps him silent 
not he’s sullen
and yes, he still foregoes 
the pureed lentil soup
but only because
if he eats it he must see it
he explains meat 
should be meat 
see, what i’d pegged as pique
was simply sensitive
 
and as the evening went from pork to apple crumble
eating pie and humble
i had to unsnap those early judgments
i’m much too fond of making
for neither he nor Yanick
were Gasprom or ex-OSS 
or anything remotely sinister
instead, they bake 
Russian and Ukrainian
ceramic tiles for sale
in europe’s many markets
(in which trade there plainly is money
enough to marry models)
saving one last shallow surmise
of mine still standing