SOLIDS
AND GAPS
(National
Galleries of Scotland, http://bit.ly/1k8eBFv
)
The
bridge, though in no Bible, often makes
a
Christian symbol, as in pontifex.
Painting the Forth Bridge,
though outfacted, still
means the done staying not done
that always will.
Photographing the Forth Bridge
in stereo,
when the bridge had had thirteen
years' existence,
conjures? allows? depicts?
recreates? -- though
monochrome, steel -- a looking
in the distance.
The above poem was written early in 2010 for the 'Inspired? Get writing!' competition organised by the National Galleries of Scotland. Entrants were invited to write poems relating to art works in those galleries. I did my exploration online. The image I picked on was a stereoscopic photograph of the Forth Bridge, taken in 1896. Follow the link in the title note to see it and the NGS notes on it.
The poem has now found publication in StAnza's Poetry Map of Scotland, and, for the duration of the StAnza Poetry Festival, in shop and business windows around St Andrews. I had better say that StAnza was drawn to my attention by music librarian Karen McAulay.
Some readers will have heard me declaim a poem about another Scottish estuarine bridge, at various times in the last forty years. The Poetry Map of Scotland gives the Tay Bridge a modern Scots poem by Fran Baillie, who accords William McGonagall his rightful place, and nothing more, with a name-check in the opening line.
The above poem was written early in 2010 for the 'Inspired? Get writing!' competition organised by the National Galleries of Scotland. Entrants were invited to write poems relating to art works in those galleries. I did my exploration online. The image I picked on was a stereoscopic photograph of the Forth Bridge, taken in 1896. Follow the link in the title note to see it and the NGS notes on it.
The poem has now found publication in StAnza's Poetry Map of Scotland, and, for the duration of the StAnza Poetry Festival, in shop and business windows around St Andrews. I had better say that StAnza was drawn to my attention by music librarian Karen McAulay.
Some readers will have heard me declaim a poem about another Scottish estuarine bridge, at various times in the last forty years. The Poetry Map of Scotland gives the Tay Bridge a modern Scots poem by Fran Baillie, who accords William McGonagall his rightful place, and nothing more, with a name-check in the opening line.
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