Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

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Bernie01
Posts: 777
Joined: 30 Jul 2015, 11:14

Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

#1 Post by Bernie01 » 05 Jun 2018, 01:20

Revision (2)

And now
sad to say
it is too short
we are left wanting prose....Frank


OK, Frank, here's more...bernie



Burrows of wind push his cigarette smoke
up to ocean cliff diners gathered to parse
grilled mussel.

They order bass under rippled umbrellas
and flags from catch of the day specials.
A John Bosco like figure, a chef in white,
passes among the parishioners,
he speaks and touches diners like the smoker
and his late wife, passes ice cold vodka stingers
tasty on flush, reddened lips.

The surf purrs at the smoker's feet
like a small animal, a watery cusp of empty salt
over distant bathers cloudy and soundless.

The flat smash of waves rolled from distant ports,
forlorn like Bach's piece for unaccompanied cello.*

A petrol lamp lowers, the sand darkens
and a solitary cigarette lights the beach.



*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCicM6i59_I


Revision (1)

Faced into the blue dregs of wind
And the cries of distant swimmers.

The surf purring at his feet
like a small animal.


The flat smash of waves like the edge
of Bach's piece for unaccompanied cello.

The cusp of a watery grace.

A petrol lamp lowers, the sand darkens
and a solitary cigarette lights the beach.










Original

Faced into the blue dregs of wind
And the cries of naked swimmers
Calling oaths from the distance.

He feels the surf
against his bare feet purring
Like a small animal.


The resolution of ocean water
Holds him on the edge of stillness
to fall back in sweet abeyance.

Gathered up over sea air,
the abounding waves smash
On the cusp of watery grace.


The sun grows dark
like an extinguished petrol lamp
and loss fills the solitary smoker.





THE SEA IS HIGH again today, with a thrilling flush of wind. In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of spring. A sky of hot nude pearl until midday, crickets in sheltered places, and now the wind unpacking the great planes, ransacking the great planes…. From the Alexandria Quartet by Durrell.

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: Solitary Man Smoking a Cigarette at the Beach

#2 Post by BobBradshaw » 05 Jun 2018, 21:54

The closing stanza is good

Michael (MV)
Posts: 2154
Joined: 18 Apr 2005, 04:57

Re: Solitary Man Smoking a Cigarette at the Beach

#3 Post by Michael (MV) » 05 Jun 2018, 22:28

Hi Bernie

save "solitary" for the last; thus title would be:

Man Smoking a Cigarette at the Beach


I like the close , too; and I'm sharing 2 workshop variations:

The sun dims
like an extinguished petrol lamp
and loss fills the solitary smoker.


The sun dims
like an extinguished petrol lamp
and loss fills the lungs
of the solitary smoker.


If the italicised is subject to workshop, then

He feels the surf
against his bare feet purring
like a small animal.


as

He feels the surf
slink against his bare feet
and purring Like a small pet.


Micahel (MV)

FranktheFrank
Posts: 1983
Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
Location: Between the mountains and the sea

Re: Solitary Man Smoking a Cigarette at the Beach

#4 Post by FranktheFrank » 06 Jun 2018, 18:36

Blue dregs of a warm wind
cries of naked bathers
oaths waft from the distance.

the surf
against his bare feet purring
like a small animal.

ocean water holds on the edge of stillness
to fall back in sweet abeyance.

sea air,
abounding waves smash
watery grace.

The sun grows dark, dips below
the horizon, swallowed up by the dark
an extinguished lamp
the flick of a zipper
the smell of petrol
sense of loss fills
the solitary smoker.

Sorry Bernie
couldn't resist
messing with your pom.

best

Bernie01
Posts: 777
Joined: 30 Jul 2015, 11:14

Re: Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

#5 Post by Bernie01 » 06 Jun 2018, 21:46

Bob---

hope the revision makes the close more immediate and natural.

thanks for your comment.


M---

yes, saving the word solitary for the close. made that change.

i imagine the lines in italics as being centered.

you wrote:

He feels the surf
slink against his bare feet
and purring Like a small pet.


thanks, but i don't cotton to the word slink---funny, isn't it? what hits us as OK or not quite right. i ask about the other adjectives, or mood of the poem, i thought, i felt the word purring.

thanks for these extended comments.


Frank---


i offer the Durrell quote as my heartfelt language, so original without being bizarre.


thanks to you and all for commenting.



bernie

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

#6 Post by Kenneth2816 » 08 Jun 2018, 00:13

I like it. There is a talent of compression while being at the same time so full

FranktheFrank
Posts: 1983
Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
Location: Between the mountains and the sea

Re: Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

#7 Post by FranktheFrank » 08 Jun 2018, 19:05

And now
sad to say
it is too short
we are left wanting prose.

Bernie01
Posts: 777
Joined: 30 Jul 2015, 11:14

Re: Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

#8 Post by Bernie01 » 13 Jun 2018, 21:46

Revision (2)

And now
sad to say
it is too short
we are left wanting prose....Frank


OK, Frank, here's more...bernie


His cigarette smoke is pushed softly
by burrows of wind to ocean cliff diners
gathered to parse grilled mussel,
they order bass under rippled umbrellas
and flags, among orders for a catch of the day
where a chef in white, a John Bosco figure,
passes among the parishioners,
he speaks and touches diners like the smoker
and his late wife, passes ice cold vodka stingers
tasty on flush, reddened lips.

The surf purrs at the smoker's feet
like a small animal, a watery cusp of empty salt
over distant bathers cloudy and soundless.

The flat smash of waves rolled from distant ports,
distant ports forlorn like the island of Bach's piece
for unaccompanied cello.*

A petrol lamp lowers, the sand darkens
and a solitary cigarette lights the beach.



*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwHpDOWhkGk

FranktheFrank
Posts: 1983
Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
Location: Between the mountains and the sea

Re: Man Smoking Cigarette at the Beach

#9 Post by FranktheFrank » 14 Jun 2018, 01:20

You painted the picture Bernie
Your choice, all good I think.

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