Heavy sea running

Tree-dense islands

with a heavy sea running

hold the tides between them.

Sky, dusk-red above land, 

touches every wave 

with light.

The pinewoods 

put their roots down

into the swollen sward 

of an elapsed time

only they can reach, deeper 

than the sea bed's loneliness.

Tomorrow's calm 

lays the ebb flattened

against remembered weather

and sea and sky remain, 

above all and beyond, 

the keepers of landscape.

© BH, 2023

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A brief ekphrastic poem, inspired by the painting whose image accompanies it. The painting is of the St Lawrence River - by Canadian artist, Holly Friesen. 

I saw the painting in a Facebook post and wrote this. I have to admit there's been a few edits since the original was dashed off. But that's the way it goes… And, of course, I was channelling the sea (oh, my Scottish soul…). Poetic licence, I suppose.

Holly's work can be found at https://www.hollyfriesen.com/