Mermaid Tattoo
May 29, 2009 at 7:19 pm | Posted in poetry, writing | 22 CommentsTags: mermaid tattoo, poetry, tattoo poetry, writing
… by Harold Arlen who
tired of the gentlemanly discipline
required to complete “Stormy Weather”
in which moon and sea conspire
to overcome the laziness of words
their tendency to aggregate in brick arrangements
when what we most desire are softer forms
of mattress clouds on which to bob
and gently overroll
an abandoned luxury of spiralled
pillow scented curls with mistress smiling
hinting inclination gently rising
as we slide updown the other side
would gracefully accept the cautious underflow
of whispered fingertips
which quicken clarity
that sometimes sinking
is not drowning.
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- The Australian Poet Laureate
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again, yr run of great work continues. and the rarely sighted period at the end! nobody mixes up a cool glass of metaphors like you squires,
Yes, this one had an ending, Jason. Drowning sailor embraces mermaid. Thankyou,
Comment by jason— May 29, 2009 #
Good Morning Paul~ This is a fine piece of poetry. I love how you’ve made your words emulate the water’s waves. It compliments your words all the more. I really enjoyed reading this one. Have a nice day.
Thanks, Michelle. Haven’t seen you around for ages. Hope you are having a fantabulous day too.
Comment by Michelle Johnson— May 29, 2009 #
AH! Your poem is the mermaid herself! Wonderful play with form! The Merry Tribe of Blogging Poets is feeling creative today!
Cool, it took me hours to get her tail right. Formatting is so complex in wordpress, I had to learn some HTML. How’s the housekeeping going, Bryan?
Comment by poeticgrin— May 29, 2009 #
gosh.
so, SO beautiful.
thanks for sharing.
thought i’d pop over and ask whether you’d had a look at Fifi’s blog?
http://fifilastupenda.blogspot.com/
also beautiful.
Thankyou. I checked out Fifi’s blog, it is beautiful.
Comment by the projectivist— May 30, 2009 #
So many beautiful sounds and so much wordplay that it quite simply melts in the mouth and mind. Gorgeous.
Thankyou, Narnie. I am thinking I might go back to the simplicity of the “Small Boy With Flowers” and “The Yellow Dress” days now.
Comment by Narnie— May 30, 2009 #
Yup
I like it very much. There is a lovely beat to this poem Paul. I can almost hear it like music.
Do you mind if I link to you?
Phil
Thankyou. Not at all Phil. I have linked to you too. And I have been pimping your quote about poetry becoming a class adornment all over the place.
Comment by ISA— May 30, 2009 #
Sometimes sinking is just so perfect, this is one such time, amazing! will return to this one …
Cool, thankyou Ms Mist.
Comment by Mental Mist— May 31, 2009 #
lovely, moves in such a flowing tranquil way, like a cloud…
Yes,
Comment by harmonie22— June 1, 2009 #
This one Dada – in the shape of an enormous propped Dali head. Zing!
Zing! Haha, I wish I could get to the Dali exhibition at the ANG, that would be cool.
Comment by Jen Jewel Brown— June 1, 2009 #
Beautiful in every way. I can see how much work you have put into every word. Just exquisite!
Thankyou, Selma. I am a fiddler with minute details, it’s true.
Comment by Selma— June 1, 2009 #
The words are lovely yes and we readers have come to expect such beauty in words and images from you.
I too am blown away with how you were able to format the piece into a concrete poem. At first it seemed wave-like then cloud-like then as a cloud takes a shape in the imagination I saw the mermaid. Very Impressive.
Thanks, AP. That is a cool idea, all three, a wave, a cloud, a cloud shaped liked a mermaid, a mermaid. Cloud watching is fun and is a form of thinking not unlike writing a poem.
Comment by art predator— June 2, 2009 #
Speaking of tattoos, mermaids and otherwise, did you see the cool WordPress tattoo on my blog? I actually met the owner of said tattoo at WordCamp and saw the tattoo in the flesh! I currently have another temp WordPress tattoo. I think if I was ever to get a tattoo, I would choose something enigmatic like a letter. Maybe S for Squires.
A real WordPress tattoo? I’ll have to check that out. My next tattoo is going to be a poem, but I can’t decide which one.
Comment by art predator— June 2, 2009 #
Cool rhythm. I’d love to hear it read out loud.
Thanks, Cocoyea. I might do a podcast this week.
Comment by cocoyea— June 3, 2009 #
I am loving the title. I am loving your words. She is a beauty, you.
Thankyou, Saraha. So are you.
Comment by SarahA— June 3, 2009 #
[…] Mermaid Tattoo from Gingatao […]
Pingback by Favorite pieces « Mental Mist— June 26, 2009 #
Hey there, I can’t believe I’m just now reading this… It’s beautiful and I can feel the gentle waves of your words lapping at my feet and ankles as I wonder aimlessly along the shoreline. A calming peace overtaking me now…
Hello, Psychobillygirl. It is about time you read this one. Have you got a new tattoo? It is so cool to see you back again.
Comment by psychobillygirl— August 31, 2009 #
no, nothing new as lately though I did get LuLu worked on some more. i will post a picture when she is complete. I feel horrible that I’ve only recently read this. I love it!
Comment by psychobillygirl— September 2, 2009 #
That’s right. I remember now, you got your actual mermaid tattoo about the same time I wrote this poem, Psychobillygirl. I had forgotten so we can both feel guilty for a moment and then go Wow! Cool, hello,
Comment by Paul— September 2, 2009 #
This poem has been illustrated by Benedicte Delachanal While reading – Carnet De Dessins
Comment by Paul Squires— January 31, 2010 #
[…] That is a fantastic illustration of my Mermaid Tattoo poem. Thank You! The other illustrations are wonderful too. The mermaid poem is here – Mermaid Tattoo […]
Pingback by While reading, « CARNET DE DESSINS/Bénédicte’s blog— February 2, 2010 #
Merci Paul.
Comment by benedictedelachanal— February 2, 2010 #
[…] Two of my favorite Gingatao poems – Listen and Mermaid Tattoo […]
Pingback by gingatao « Mental Mist— October 5, 2010 #