From the Sea & From the Cliffs
Two poems
A very warm welcome to the Poetic Landscape weekly newsletter.
This week I offer you a pair of poems to go with a pair of pictures. In the original exhibition these paintings were hung side by side, related by theme and tone. I wanted the poems to speak to each other as well as to each of the images.
From the Sea
I scan for you
in the sea’s fields,
seeking your blip.
I see you come
and go, each off
succeeding on.
Every darkness
an extra
oblivion.
My own signal
dissolves in chalk.
Why can’t we speak?
© Michael Fox 2025
From the Cliffs Where once through this window I saw all the ways light has of bringing you home - torches, often, lit by the sun’s own hand, and thrown smokily across the sky for you, the coracled wanderer, the seeker after secrets in the sea’s miles, me here the mere admirer of fine gradations in the day’s schist - my vision now is full of blood. I cannot staunch the wound your going leaves, nor lift the veil that spreads across the sea. © Michael Fox 2025
The criss-crossing laterals and diagonals in the paintings spoke strongly to me of fracture, of separateness, of distance, reinforced by the cold tones of the paint itself. I found myself exploring the sharp coldness of separation and as a result a strong mood of despair and heartbreak emerges.
On a sailing trip around the Hebridean Sea a few years ago I became aware of the crucial importance of lighthouses to those at sea at night. In our modern era, of course, radar has become a key navigational aid.
I would be delighted to receive feedback or any other comments on the poetry. If you have enjoyed this one, please press the ‘heart’ button below. You can help The Poetic Landscape to grow by sharing a link to this newsletter with your friends and networks. Thanks!
More poetry from The Poetic Landscape
Hey Michael,
This is simply powerful. Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Mahdi
Love this!