Sunday, January 15, 2012

Magpie Tales 100

Sculptures by  Jason Decaires Taylor

I found Jason Decaires Taylor's unwater sculpture gardens disturbing when I first ran across them on the internet. Maybe I downed in a former life. But this week after the disaster of the Italian Cruise ship that overturned they are all that more unsettling.

Cry the dead

The drowned
from their watery grave
silently scream
in the bubbles rising to the surface.

The surface
they will never again see
seals itself
over their deep decent. 

The waves
go on about their path to the shore
not touching
the silent abyss below.

Cry the dead
no more from beneath the waves
ring the bells ashore
time to say goodbye.

J. Binford-Bell
January 2010

In Memory of the dead and missing of the capsized Costa Concordia

12 comments:

Brian Miller said...

drowning would be such a hard way to die...it is a process you know...and the knowledge of what is happening to you...ugh...def feel for those in the ship...shivers...

Suz said...

haunting
To see that ship on its side
and wondering about the horror...
of in the dark...trying to navagate out
some not making it
you did a fine job capturing this

Anastasia Bykova said...

Absolutely wonderful, moving blog. Thank you.

I listen to my radio a lot and this story constantly makes me feel uneasy. Horrid.

Kay said...

beautiful and haunting...

it may be totally selfish but i never watch the news...

Tess Kincaid said...

Lovely tribute to those lost on the Costa Concordia...

Trellissimo said...

Sad and apt. Thank you.

Melissa Ridley Elmes said...

"the surface they wee never see again" - did you mean "will" never see again?

this was a wonderful poem - moving, tragic, and profound.

Sue said...

To drown would be a particularly horrifying way to die. And this guy's art makes me feel that even more strongly.

Your poem says it well.

=)

Jinksy said...

And the sea rarely gives up its dead...

Helen said...

Your poem strikes a chord in everyone who has read of this tragedy on water ... beautifully, beautifully written.

Nicholas V. said...

An automatic connection, of course, and a moving tribute to those lost at sea in this most recent shipping disaster.
Great take, Jacqui!

Jacqui Binford-Bell said...

Thank you, everyone, for the kind comments. This poem was hard to write because of my gut connection to the subject.

It is nice to hear that my words connected with so many others.