The Artist (a poem with fishy fish)
What marvellous fishy fish you capture,
he said to the artist, quick tip of the hat
and nod to her grasp of the slippery power
held within the Koi, of paint and pond.
If I could divine the secret of supple
shape and muscle, colour and movement
that you magically display, in the loose
flamboyance of these wild but captive
creatures, mouth open, wanting more
than can ever be obtained in this stale life,
outside the rippled blue of paint reflected,
I would hide it in a locked box,
to keep the magic from evaporating.
____________________________________
Dedicated to the artist and blogger Aletha Kuschan (who is slightly obsessed with painting Koi) and the late and great poet gingatao (author of The Puzzle Box) who was a great admirer of Aletha’s work, particularly her ‘fishy fish’.
March 18, 2011 at 12:50 pm
I saw “fishy fish” in your title and instantly thought of Paul. I remember how him using that term. Lovely poem and a perfect dedication to them both.
March 20, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Thanks Rachel 🙂
March 18, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Lovely poem and gorgeous paintings!
March 20, 2011 at 12:35 pm
They’re something else those koi paintings 😉 thanks adeeyoyo
March 18, 2011 at 5:38 pm
I like this very much, specially the first stanza. Lovely paintings too,
Juliet
Crafty green Poet
March 20, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Thanks Juliet 🙂 I think Paul can take credit for some of the first stanza (maybe I was channelling his spirit).
March 19, 2011 at 12:27 am
“to keep the magic from evaporate”
I love that. To me it represents all the beauty we have in our head, and when we express it it does evaporate.
Beautiful poem and tribute to 2 wonderful artists.
March 20, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I often think of that – if you know something too well, the magic disappears – a bit like analysing the meaning of love.
March 19, 2011 at 8:10 am
Paul did give them a name that has stuck. They are fishy fish now and seemed to have appeared sometimes in his poems before it ever dawned on me to even draw koi, certainly long before I knew Paul.
The koi do live inside boxes of a sort, “puzzle boxes,” being prevented from exiting the ponds where they are captive, and yet they have astonishing freedom in their endlessly changing movements. Somehow they are more than the sum of their separately swum paths — I speak of the real fish about which my pictures are suggestions.
Up and down are relative things in the pond as in thought. The koi transcend something-or-other by means of their urgency and incessant movement. Your poem catches some of that quality too, of the actual fish I mean.
I am honored! Is a tremendous wow feeling. Thank you!
March 20, 2011 at 12:39 pm
You’re welcome ALetha and thanks for the wonderful comment – I promise never to analyse completely the koi in your paintings/drawings 😉
March 19, 2011 at 8:12 am
Indeed a fine poem and paintings.
March 20, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Thanks slpmartin 🙂
March 19, 2011 at 10:11 am
Fantastic cross media post, the images and words fit beautifully together.
March 20, 2011 at 12:40 pm
I have been following Aletha’s koi obsession for a long time now – endlessly fascinating stuff – thanks Mark
March 19, 2011 at 2:37 pm
love this Gabe, and am sure Paul is loving it too… i read one of his poems at the speedpoets 10th birthday. can still picture him perched in the corner at InSpire.
March 20, 2011 at 12:40 pm
That is wonderful that you read his poem Graham – thanks 🙂
March 19, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Ah, yes, to capture beauty, Gabrielle – lovely poem – really like the expression of recognition in that “tip of the hat and nod to her grasp”. Also, in the first painting, I love that fish on the left looking at the artist while the others are focused on swimming.
March 20, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Thanks bluebee – that is really one of the types of sentences that he was good at – I am just copying his style a little (sure he won’t mind). The picture is amazing – I thought the same about the fish you pointed out.
March 20, 2011 at 9:08 pm
A wonderful poem Gabrielle, and the koi have been beautifully ‘captured’ in those paintings.
It’s always nice to have a memory of Paul revisited.
🙂
March 21, 2011 at 8:25 am
Thanks Tracey 🙂
March 22, 2011 at 4:45 am
Wonderful playful poem and stunning paintings.
March 22, 2011 at 9:52 am
I thought you might like it squirrel 🙂
March 26, 2011 at 8:56 pm
Being a lover of fishy fish as I am, this poem really spoke to me. I liked the movement but the killer image is the creatures with mouths open always wanting more than they can obtain from this life. That image has moved me so much. Brilliant!
March 27, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Thanks Selma – yes, there is something about the mouth open thing and fish – it’s like they are trying to get to the other world but can’t breath – just a little taste of the other side and wanting more.