The White Whale, a poem about the pursuit of impossible desires, digital art
The White Whale
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The white whale, a ghost upon la Mar Corazon
Armed with harpoons, forged by Eros, honed by Mars
Lulling the swimmer to sleep with its song
Drowning with the immensity of its wake
Turning depths from calm, to tempest, to icy doldrums
Once felt the white whale won’t be forgotten
Water-logged with longing or barnacled with hate
Alas, just like Ahab, you have no choice but to follow
A maritime will-o-wisp, shifting, submerging
A phantom on a silvery, sinking horizon
The white whale, glimpsed by those who can but gaze
Offered, but like a fist full of brine, forever out of reach
.................
Digital Art is an edited composite of public domain images
Resulting image and words copyright Pryde Foltz
An obvious shout out to Herman Melville on this poem
Nice poem @prydefoltz! UPVOTED!
Thank you, brokeman:)
Its deep meaning gives more kick into our minds, simple yet too meaningful poem. I like your style
Thank you, wagun:)
"...but like a fistful of brine, forever out of reach". Such a perfect analogy! Like fairy gold (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/fairy_gold).
And then "will-o-wisp" (which would seem to be an ill-fitting term for something as immense as a whale, but turns out somehow to work, maybe because of "shifting, submerging/A phantom on a silvery, sinking horizon"), another reference to the world of the little people... Such beautiful, otherworldly language! The last four lines gave me shivers :)
I see the will-o-wisp linked because the whale/ our desires are ultimately creatures of our imagination and no matter how large they would eventually dissolve or change to something else. If we indeed caught that whale, it would never be as we thought it. Really appreciate your thoughtful response, Bennett:) Thank you.
Yes! that comes across. The "fistful of brine" (still loving that image!) underscores it :)
Looks like you are getting noticed, Pryde. Remember me when you are huge ;)
Of course .... you will be in my whale acceptance speech ... you get a trophy then, right? ... seriously ... how could I forget you, Paul. You'll already be there:):):)
Woah, that was really really well done, congratulations on the tone and the soft, wave-like rithm you've achieved. Great poem!
Thank you, ddatica:) Much appreciated:)
Ah yes, the white whale is the elusive holy grail of Desire, no Siren, but stark ambition ...no wonder men lead lives of quiet desperation :)
Thank you, John:0 No wonder, indeed. ... we live a little better perhaps in the moments in between, when we slow down just enough to catch up to ourselves.
Thanks for the booster upvote. It's very much appreciated:)
you're welcome :)
This post has received a 2.41 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @johnjgeddes.