I love this poem, David. I love those mountain names at the beginning - sounding as old as time itself - and the way you echo them at the end, like an echo among mountains. Well done, my friend!
Thankyou for the very kind comment, which means a great deal to me. The names frame the poem, yes. It just happens that they cascade down in syllable lengths - 5, 4, 3... descending into the first line of the poem - "the names fall away into emptiness..."
And then at the end, reversing them, gives a gentle build to the final "Watiyawanu" - and I love your comparison of that to an echo in the mountains. It is indeed an incredibly "still" place, of tall rock peaks, almost bare of vegetation, lightly brushed by the wind, and dissected by deep gorges and canyons where each footfall echoes.
There is more I could say about this, with a comparison to Ireland in fact! However I have to rush out in a moment..... So - another time.
Thankyou, Caroline. It is a place of surpassing beauty…. The photos are rephotographs of my old prints - but I have just found the negative of the main photo, which I took on a very good SLR, so I will try to get it resurrected with the original definition.
In the end though, no photo can convey the depth of the air, the taste of the light, or the way the silence settles into you like a new state of consciousness.....
Ahhh... thank you Keith. There is a power in naming. The European names flake off like cheap paint, but underneath....
I thought you might like this one. Your own mountain photos have me reaching for my walking boots....
It's coming up to 1 am here now but I couldn't rest until I posted this. It's been on my mind all day.
Goodnight! Best wishes too.
Dave :)
I love this poem, David. I love those mountain names at the beginning - sounding as old as time itself - and the way you echo them at the end, like an echo among mountains. Well done, my friend!
Hi Martin. Good morning from Australia.
Thankyou for the very kind comment, which means a great deal to me. The names frame the poem, yes. It just happens that they cascade down in syllable lengths - 5, 4, 3... descending into the first line of the poem - "the names fall away into emptiness..."
And then at the end, reversing them, gives a gentle build to the final "Watiyawanu" - and I love your comparison of that to an echo in the mountains. It is indeed an incredibly "still" place, of tall rock peaks, almost bare of vegetation, lightly brushed by the wind, and dissected by deep gorges and canyons where each footfall echoes.
There is more I could say about this, with a comparison to Ireland in fact! However I have to rush out in a moment..... So - another time.
Best Wishes - Dave :)
You’ve been painting, Dave… Your words are colours and masterful brushstrokes on a holographic canvas. Thank you!
Dear Ronnie. Thankyou! That is such an incredible compliment. You have made my day!
Very Best Wishes - Dave :)
Beautiful poetry of place. And stunning photographs to accompany 🧡
Thankyou, Caroline. It is a place of surpassing beauty…. The photos are rephotographs of my old prints - but I have just found the negative of the main photo, which I took on a very good SLR, so I will try to get it resurrected with the original definition.
In the end though, no photo can convey the depth of the air, the taste of the light, or the way the silence settles into you like a new state of consciousness.....
Eternally serene
Thankyou, Keith. It's not quite the Drakensberg, but it is very remote, very wild, and indescribably peaceful....