When from the sea her wildness blew,
Alone I watched the lighthouse shine
through crested waves the ship and you,
a way to shelter from her lethal brine.
Alone I saw the helmsman tighten lines
his pockmarked face, his dying crew,
Alone I knew
Ship in the Stormy Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky
Today we are doing Quadrilles at dVerse with Kim. The word to use is wild in a poem of 44 words exactly.
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January 27, 2019
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Now I want to know, what did you know?
Maybe how it ended for the ship…
Badly, I imagine.
I love this, Björn! The sea is wild, dangerous and full of inspiration. Lighthouses are wonderful metaphors, too.
Facing the unknown.
Interesting rhyme scheme, Bjorn. I love the sense of mystery, and the power of the sea.
The sea writes the stories for us to read. So sorrowful to read the last page of this one…
That last “I knew” is quite foreboding.
“Alone I knew”
That last line is killer.
The pockmarked face is such a delicious detail. And the mysterious “I” and the knowing are so full of foreboding. I also love the illustration. Amazing, the magical journey you can conjure up in 44 words!
Incredible imagery in only 44 words, and that last line- WOW.
This is so full of vivid images and details. The pockmarked face is wonderful. I’m sort of imagining a ghostly spirit telling the tale.
You’ve voiced witness to the perfect storm. Did you ever see that movie? Gloucester, MA is a short commuter rail ride from Boston and is the home of the ship the movie was about. The sea can be a robber or a nourishing realm.
You managed to infuse your quadrille with tension and intrigue. Perfect!
Harrowing…
It is sad to witness such tragedies.
I am just back from watching some wild waves of my own so this poem suits my mood perfectly……..I LOVE the ending! My friend flipped his small zodiac the other night in cold winter waves. He climbed up onto the bottom, which was now the top, and luckily a boat came along soon to rescue him. It can happen just that fast.
The last line leaves us with a mystery!
I like the rhyme scheme in this poem. Nicely done.
This is written in your trademark fashion. It leaves the reader wondering what became of the crew. What turmoil lurked beyond the waves of knowledge?
This should be set to music!
I can almost hear this elegant piece set to an orchestra 💝 Beautifully rendered, Bjorn.
that haunting ending. too good.
wild dangerous and mysterious, a great write, ENJOYED
have a good week
much love…
Love, love the image and the way you bring the pockmarked face of the helmsmen into view. I want to help him!!!
The loneliness tugs at the heart
awesome, creepy and awesome. I get this whole ghostly making of a siren vibe 😉
This is so tight and I love the painting.
You have masterfully built suspense in this. Nicely done.
So much heartbreak incarnated in so few lines! Brilliant and moving!
Pretty striking arrangement. It is hard to boil down to 44 words and still say something meaningful. You did a spectacular job of that!
Your prose pulls the reader into the cold, cold brine.
So much emotion and tenseness in this short piece. Love it, Bjorn!