i
Over a deep jade shelf, seawater curls
smooth lathery lips. Shingle and shells
tucked under the breach, it arrives
edges closer, curious as a new calf
trembling and torn between hoof
and scent of salty hands
or comes storming, a snot-nosed bull
cold rage of Verdigris, vengeful
tossed by the last wave's faena*
ii
she sees heaving waters gape in places
salt air and solids embrace
breaking the mould as Sea Form
outermost inwards, she, The Arranger
pulls on a paradox, a doppelgänger
foaming fluid, settled metal
- a series of final passes leading to the kill made by the matador
For Open Link Night @dVerse where anything goes and here some lines for Barbara Hepworth’s: “Sea Form” of which she made several sculptures
PoetryPix 
Laura, I love the rich, tactile imagery here! The interplay between power and fluidity makes this feel both vivid and haunting to me 🙂
Much love,
David
thank you David for the splendid imagery of your feedback
First I really love the title of the poem, and then how you follow sure, with the language of a sculptor viewing the way the seascape shape and reshape… so very visual
many thanks for hosting tonight though I was tempted by your prompt I’d already begun to take the shape of water here
Looking at the sculpture after reading your poem it reminds me of the pelvis of the sea. Lovely!
nicely observed Lisa
A living, moving sculpture, pouring, foaming…a fascinating read, very demanding to right, really quite unique.
thank you again for your very moving words too
write
yes! If only we could edit our comments after sending
You had me at the title, Laura! This is absolutely gorgeous in words and image 😍😍
thank you for your appreciation Sanaa
Rushing water depicted as undecided, enraged, confused, its own fraternal twin… or is that the beholder?
or maybe the creator as artist – she was imbued with her Cornish landscape:
“I am the form and I am the hollow, the thrust and the contour.”
‘The Shape of Water’ is one of my favourite del Toro films, a romantic but dark fantasy film. But your poem takes the title to another level, Laura. I love the rich imagery in ‘seawater curls smooth lathery lips’, how they become a ‘new calf’ and then ‘a snot-nosed bull’, and the devastating final line slew me.
thank you Kim for your appreciation of this 3-D ekphrastic
My pleasure, Laura.
Wonderful lines Laura and a new word for me – looking forward to Spring when we shall go to see Barbara Hepworth’s work in the flesh…
thank you Andrew – I saw Hepworth’s house and garden with sculptures in St Ives so looking forward to more at our Spring visit nearer to home!
Gorgeous imagery lyrical lines,Laura. The title made me think of the film, but I love how you describe the sea in your ekphrastic. I agree with Li, the sculpture does seem a pelvis of the sea.
thank you Merril – I do not usually do many ekphrastics but sculptures make for a more ambiguous subject prompt
You’re welcome, Laura.
Your poem is word dessert, Laura. Scrumptious!
thank you for giving the poem an appetite
You imbue water with so much character, sculpting its changeability in stillness. Gorgeous, Laura.
many thanks – it comes from hours of watching the life of water embodied too in Hepworth’s sculptures
You are very welcome, Laura. You are a keen observer.
As a native of the Great Lakes State, I spent hours of my childhood searching beaches for sea glass, shells, skipping stones, or anything else interesting, especially since Lake Superior stays cold all year. I never found anything remotely like the pictured item, though.
Sorry to have missed your comment Shay – your childhood is idyllic and ideal for a sculptor or poet!