A few weeks ago, poet/author Laura Purdie Salas offered up a photo of a seagull on a statue as a poetry prompt on her “15 Words-or-Less” blog post. I responded with a short free verse poem…and it has been on my mind quite a bit lately.
I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve decided to use it as part of a larger project, if it’s because the family is gearing up for another summer excursion to Maine and I have the Long Sands of York Beach on my brain, or if it’s because I simply like the way it turned out. Probably all three.
So I’ve fleshed it out just a bit and am sharing it with you today! And if you missed it, I’d love for you to check out this past Tuesday’s post about poetry videos and the incredible voiceovers that the poets themselves provided for the videos.
Oh, and since it’s Friday, be sure to visit my friend and fellow Poet’s Garage member Buffy Silverman’s blog for all of today’s Poetry Friday links and hi jinks!
Early riser
Sea mist swirls across the shoreline;
single seagull seizes a current
……..and rides, suspended
in a headwind.
– © 2015, Matt Forrest Esenwine, all rights reserved
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Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme 
Your trip to Maine sounds lovely after the hard winter, Matt. And you’ve captured that sea gull’s “stay” in the air beautifully. It really does happen, doesn’t it? Laura’s posts are always inspiring!
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Thanks, Linda. I do wish I had more time to respond to all of Laura’s prompts, but I try to do my best!
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Love all the “ess” sounds in this one, Matt, and the image of the gull suspended.
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I love that seagull SEIZING the current. Forget drifting, soaring, etc. Your seagull is an action kind of bird!
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The s sounds carry us through and then the end comes with two solid d sounds – perfect! And I love the Boss poem – both the content and the voice over make this one shine for me.
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Well done, Matt! I too, like the superb stream of ess sounds!
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Thank you, all! I really appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment.
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I can totally picture that seagull!
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Like Mary Lee, I can really see your bird! I like that it is an early riser, because I like that quietly alone image, just me and the gull.
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Thank you both! I could picture it in my mind, as I was writing…glad that came across!
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I live on Cape Cod and I’ve seen that gull my whole life. I even caught it on camera: https://instagram.com/p/l2qRI8qCYU/?taken-by=heyjimhill
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Yep, that looks about right! I see them every year and watching them hang there in the air – suspended! – can be mesmerizing.
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I love this one, Matt. You caught the thought beautifully. And yes, the S!
Karen
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Thanks so much, Karen!
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Very nice, Matt! Love that seagull suspended in time and space. And now you’ve got the beach calling me as well… the Maine beaches are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
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I’m glad you liked it, Michelle…I know you’ve got your fair share of beaches where you live!
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Lovely poem. Have fun in Maine — such a beautiful vacation spot!
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Thank you, Jama.It’s funny…it’s only an hour away, yet going there instead of our own shoreline just feels like we’re farther away from everything!
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Lovely image, Matt! I need to spend some time in this poem. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks so much, Andi – so glad you enjoyed it!
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