Sailor's Dream
Recently I began working on an installation piece that I've titled "Sailor's Dream". Now here's the rub. I can't show the finished piece because I believe it's too controversial.
With all that's happening right now in the world in regards to how men relate to, have related to women leaves me no choice but to be very careful on how this installation is presented to the public.
I had coffee with a good friend the other day and showed him my progress on the piece and told him the story behind the piece, and he says with the story the installation is alright. In and of itself may not be alright.
I challenged my social media followers to write a poem or story based on the elements of the installation. At this point two people have responded with great poems and another person refereed a song that he remembered.
Here are the items that I listed to write the story.
1. a single metal frame bed from a coastal ship
2. a sailor
3. a beautiful woman
4. rope
5. a footlocker
6. a dream
7. pinup pictures
Tired, with muscles like rope
From hauling lines
Rises at dawn from his metal cot
Aboard the ship
In the harbour.
He descends the plank,
Footlocker hoisted...
And she is light upon his shoulder
His dream girl.
She lives inside his coffer
and she lives in Hollywood...
He doesn't know
She is depleted...
With drink, with drugs
He only dreams...
He dreams of her
As he sails
Over the shiny metal rails
Of the CN line
Through prairie grass
To home.
A plain beautiful woman
Sits across from him
Watching
He doesn't see her.
Someone else commented that the selected items reminded him of a song, "Southern Cross", by Crosby, Stills and Nash.
The Sailor
Shawn Van WagnerTired, with muscles like rope
From hauling lines
Rises at dawn from his metal cot
Aboard the ship
In the harbour.
He descends the plank,
Footlocker hoisted...
And she is light upon his shoulder
His dream girl.
She lives inside his coffer
and she lives in Hollywood...
He doesn't know
She is depleted...
With drink, with drugs
He only dreams...
He dreams of her
As he sails
Over the shiny metal rails
Of the CN line
Through prairie grass
To home.
A plain beautiful woman
Sits across from him
Watching
He doesn't see her.
The Sailor
Kimberley Guilmette
he felt like he was drowning
in the soil beneath his feet,
like heavy ropes were tugging at the sinew of his calves
tearing deeper and deeper into his hard and well-worn muscles,
into his very chest wall and strangling his heart
he was fatigued and unable to fight back
he had to abandon her, he could not live on this land that she adored
he needed the ocean beneath his feet...
to survive
he made the choice
he loved her with all his soul, but his heart belonged to the sea...
it was calling him home...
to the peace found upon his cot
to be rocked into a sleep deeper than death
by the swelling waves that embraced his soul
that were as welcoming as a return to the womb
only to wake with dried salty tears upon his face
reminding him of a choice long ago made
and to her fading face looking down upon him
he reaches a hand to touch what might have been
but
he made the choice
Someone else commented that the selected items reminded him of a song, "Southern Cross", by Crosby, Stills and Nash.
If you want to see this installation you must write a poem or story using the selected items above. I've rewarded each participant with photos of the installation and invited them to the studio to see the art piece.
Write a poem or story and you too can see the Sailor's Dream
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