chain saw-chisel,
Carrara stone oak,
David Nash, tree
sculptor taking
shapes from nature
when nature gives
oaks felled or rotted
sickened to death Flesh
baby - skin-smooth
white polished
veined like marble
wrapped in rough
bark; riven with
cracks, deep spirit
rifts, or thinnest
of thin craquelure.
Burnt in fierce
flames, crumble
of soot, char-
coal like grit,
scorched overall
(Black shows up
form, pale hues
highlight flesh)
Found monolith:
four trees They
fused as they
grew. Twelve
tons fallen
into his lap.
Nash needed to
devise new tools
with which to take
twelve cubic meters
from the natural
state.
This poem is a response to the dVerse poets prompt to incorporate textures.
18 comments:
This poem is a yummy tribute to the sense of touch. Thank you.
I can feel the texture in this:
"baby skin-smooth
white polished
veined like marble
wrapped in rough
bark; riven with
cracks, deep spirit
rifts, or thinnest
of thin craquelure."
Lovely work Dave.
I worked in a timber complex once. I could very well envisage the texture color shape and size of various types of timber. The chain saw was the tool to bring down the big trees regardless of the girth. You brought back the memories. Thanks Dave!
Vividly described, Dave. I have a small 'tree sculpture' bought in western USA. A bear! It does take special skill to do this kind of art. Unforgiving. One slip of the saw, and all can be lost!
An artist pays tribute to another artist bravo! Great poem. I can see art in every tree I pass now.
CS
Look at the shape of this one---it's great. All those crunchy and smooth sounds.
This is awesome, David. My folks live in a beautiful mountain valley and there neighbor is a chainsaw artist. They have a large carving of a lumberjack he did from one trunk in front of their garage (Dad grew up in a logging family). It's beautiful. I may have to show the aritist your piece. Well done, indeed.
Great description. Thanks for stopping by mine!
I had to put my reading glasses on for this ... glad I did, wonderful!
That's a great picture, and you've done an excellent job of describing the textures here. I think the second stanza is my favorite :)
A fantastic take on the prompt, hewn with rough and fine textures and language. A real pleasure, thank you.
This subject matter is ideal considering the prompt and a will to explore textures - could there be a better concept to explore?
original and imaginative - to pick this subject was inspired - and then you really deliverd with the piece.
thanks David
Arron
This is a great subject to demonstrated texture. Working in wood or clay is so wonderfully sensory. The art form is quite popular here in the Sierra Nevada where we have an abundance of unhealthy or dead trees that eventually need to be taken out. You reminded me of this amazing form of texture. And I love the word craquelure! Thanks, Dave.
I remember you writing about this before - pretty amazing Dave!
Its amazing what abstract textures nature can provide :-).
your words match the image perfectly.
thanks for sharing.
When they were making "Taconic Parkway" they started chopping a lot of trees. I had then written a poem. May be one of these days I will post that poem on my blog.
Thanks for sharing.
vivinfrance
That's a really pleasing comment, thanks. The sense of touch is what I was after.
Heaven
Perfect. Tatile texture - I didn't evcen think of that! Ta, very much.
kaykuala
Yes, Nash doesn't just use the chain saw for bringing down the trees, he sculpts with it. I don't know what the problem was with the four fused trunks, except that he wanted, not just to bring it down but to take out 3 meters intact - 12 tons - but he had to develop new tools for the purpose.
Mary
Thanks Mary. Nash's work is non-figurative. The sculptures are suggested by the tree forms. Maybe you should post on your bear sculpture? (Or maybe you have already?)
Carl
It's habit, of course. Once you start seeing... !
Hannah
Glad you thought so. Much appreciate your comment.
brenda
Hi and welcome to the blog. Many thanks for the feedback. It's good to know you've visited and liked the post. I would be interested to know what your artist thinks. Thanks again.
Elizabeth
Enjoyed my visit. Thanks for letting me know you've been.
Deborah
Hi and welcome to you. Sorry about the font size. You should be able to adjust it on your browser. I'm really glad you liked the poem. Thank you very much for saying so.
lori
A warm welcome to my blog. Thank you so much for dropping by to comment.
chromapoesy
Hi, Much appreciate your visit and your comment. Good to know you liked the post.
Arron
Hi. Really good to have you visiting. Thank you so much for your generous comment. Such feedback is very much valued.
Victoria
Thank you for a lovely response to my post. It is great to have such comments - and very useful!
120 Socks
Yes, great memory you have! I did post on David Nash. A prose article. I should have provided a link to it - didn't think about it at the time!
Windsmoke
Absolutely it is.
The Gooseberry Garden
And many thanks for commenting. It's good to know what folk think. A warm welcome to you.
Munir
Many thanks for that and for visiting. Sounds like you should, definitely, post your poem!
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