Sunday, June 2, 2013

The Clarity of White Noise (Poem)


Morris Graves (1910-2001)
Waking, Walking, Singing in the Next Dimension, 1979
Watercolor and Tempera on Paper


The Clarity of White Noise

I tried to paint a line
of bird song, listening

for chatter I could hum
through a wash of darkness

in the mountains, beyond
star-thrown light. I heard

a wheel track of shape-shifting
rainbow tones, their gray notes

shimmering like tiny pearls
on my necklace of sound.

The scrim over moon's own
chalky face lifted with urgency

of need to hear, its inner eye
cued to the clarity of white noise.

© 2013 Maureen E. Doallas
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This poem is my response to today's photo prompt today at Tess Kincaid's Magpie Tales (see the image above of Morris Graves's gorgeous painting). The opening line ("I  tried to paint a line of bird song" is taken from a Graves quote found here.

Go here to read other writers' contributions of poetry and prose or to drop your own link.

8 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

Love your unique take Maureen...

Kathleen said...

I love that line! I'm glad you used that in your poem based on his image! I love the pearly feel of it all, too.

Speaking of bird song, I recommend to you Sarah Sloat's chapbook, Inksuite. I think you'll like "Typeface #10." I'm reviewing it Wednesday at Escape Into Life.

Berowne said...

"Star-thrown light." So well written...

Anonymous said...

Stunning Maureen =)

Helen said...

Very nice ... thanks for the link too.

Ginny Brannan said...

Beautiful! I love your word choice and where this took us. Very well done indeed!

Jenne' R. Andrews said...

Gorgeous poem, Maureen-- very lyrical! xxxj

sara McNulty said...

This is stunning from the first two lines. Beautiful writing.