Monday, August 16, 2010

what do they long for?


people that build their houses inland,
people that buy a plot of ground
shaped like a house, and build a house there,
far from the sea-board, far from the sound
of water sucking the hollow ledges,
tons of water striking the shore--
what do they long for, as i long for
one salt smell of the sea once more?

edna st. vincent millay




25 comments:

Rachel Fenton said...

I can hear the wind through the grass. Lonely and comforting all at once. Nice mood.

In answer to your Q on the last post - I've sent the story out into the world.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Stunning photographs steven.

I think dear Edna must have come from a very privileged background, making the assumption that everyone lives exactly where they long to live. Many have to live where they can earn a living. Many do not have the means to buy ocean-front property. How wonderful though that planet Earth offers up beauty and inspiration of many varieties.

steven said...

rachel it was the quality of light that i really loved when taking these photographs. low, golden, and then the skies were bruised and ready to rain. it's one of my favourite times, when everything is still and expectant. thanks for the answer by the way. i'll be dropping by. steven

Elisabeth said...

They are powerful images here, Steven their colour mesmerising. I love the late afternoon feel, the wind and the pending storm. Thanks.

steven said...

bonnie - i imagine that most of the more widely-known poets were from privileged backgrounds back then and made assumptions from that perspective! by the same token, i empathize with her words as a person who didn't come from a privileged background so perhaps the words can step outside of all of that! i love the sea and am drawn to it as a place of magic. steven

steven said...

elisabeth thankyou. you see them as i felt that moment. it's all so simple and so extraordinary. steven

CiCi said...

Hubby and I long for peace and quiet. Good things there are lots of different people in this world or we would be on top of each other in one section of earth. Hubby and I don't particularly crave living by the ocean and we have lived by the ocean so we can tell what we like and don't like. Listening to birds chirping and pretty much nothing else is our little slice of heaven.

Valerianna said...

Particularly captivated by the last photo - simple, clear-gold light, grass texture against sand-like cloud forms... lovely.

And, the Yupo paper is pretty expensive, its worth trying to get a sample to see if you like it... I think its actually plastic or something like that - weird, but it does have its uses. What medium would you use it for?

Jenny Stevning said...

I adore these photos - especially the last one! Thank you, Steven.

steven said...

hey technobabe, i've always lived inland and i love peace and a sort of quiet. living near water has long been in my mind so actually spending time next to the ocean has left me craving more. steven

steven said...

valerianna - i am so pleased that you enjoyed these photos. the wuality of light was so cool and th grasses seemed to glow with it. i was asking about the yupo paper because it's new to me. i paint in watercolour and acrylics. anything that uses water! steven

steven said...

hey jenny i am glad you liked them as much as i do. steven

Linda Sue said...

Your shots are exquisite as usual! The sea has so much imagination- that is one of the draws, ever changing, curious, mysterious, life given and life taking. The sea is more interesting. To live inland requires more effort.

Friko said...

Me too, me too; but I have to live where I live and make the most of it.

And it isn't so bad; my landscape looks a bit like yours without the artistry.

steven said...

ooooh linda sue thanks for your kind words! i like your take on the sea. i can't place words on the whats and whys and whatevers of water which is kind of weird because i'm usually or often pretty wordy. i'm drawn to it and miss it when i'm not near it. i've always lived inland, never near water, and that's alright. steven

steven said...

friko - i live inland and visiting rivers, oceans, lakes, ponds, streams, brooks is always exciting and compelling for me. i like where i live also. it's a beautfiul area and i'm really fortunate. i just really like the sea. steven

Lisa Ursu said...

Steven, I thought that the first photo was a painting! Stunning photos.
What a setting,
WOW!

Joanna said...

Hi Steven, I have to agree with Liza. These are absolutely stunning photos. You have captured the beauty so perfectly!

Reya Mellicker said...

Ah Edna - one of my very favorites, even more of a fav since I read her biography (sent to me by our beloved Willow).

The pics of wheat (grass?) are so so gorgeous. Thank you.

steven said...

liza several of these photographs from my summer holiday have had that quality. perhaps i'm photographing with my painting mind? steven

steven said...

joanna thankyou very much. i was so happy when i got home not only to have had the first-hand experience but also to enjoy the beauty of these images!!! steven

steven said...

ahhh reya those are wild grasses growing in sand dunes at the edge of the atlantic ocean with a storm coming in and the sun very near the horizon and shining golden through a bruised sky. it doesn't get a whole lot more magical. steven

Tess Kincaid said...

Okay, this post reached in, grabbed my heart and gave it a squeeze. My dear friend Ms. St. Vee, paired with your fabulous photos = heaven.

steven said...

willow thankyou very much! edna's piece was new to me when i went hunting for words that wouldn't come to me. i am so glad i came across them. steven

Golden West said...

Your photos have been just grand - some are so obviously coastal and the others look like the prairie. The colors have been so rich and vibrant - a real treat!