The Loves of Sochi (2)
by Steven McCabe
Cubist spires
Assembled in the clouds
The new Soviet man
Aligning his spine
Tumbling quickly
Into descent
A boneyard deliriousness
Bring me a glass of water
I fought during the siege
It’s true!
I was young
Stumbling
Into the rubble
Running for ammunition
My bones ached
We had no bread
Your heels resound
One foot is heavy
Are you with child
Your son glancing
Over his shoulder
Acutely
Internalizing
Shostakovich
I myself
Investigated
During the allegretto
Do you have a glass of water
Reciting
Accusations
Admitting
Actions
Quarrying impossibly
Stony stone
I was broken
It was late when I stepped off the train
Children bouncing candy-coloured balloons
Fathers and mothers soft as dough
The new Soviet man
a file
Inside crusted bread
Cubism condensed
To a slate grey
Now you pass this way again
What is that look you are wearing?
poemimage 
Brilliant Steven, just brilliant. I read and look again and again. Images and words dancing in my brain. This is exceptional and haunting…thank you
Thank you John. During & around the Olympics I took some side excursions into history while being amazed by the personal achievements of youth and and was left with these feelings/impressions.
Stunning. In perfect harmony with one of my favourite pieces of music: Shostakovich’s string quartet Nº 15.Sense of despair and resignation are beautifully conveyed.
Thank you Michel. I have listened to the 5th Symphony led by various conductors & (to this novice in classical music) Mravinsky’s bearing in particular seems to conjure the ghosts of the past. Will find the string quartet you mention.
Beautiful use of colour! And the flow of images and text works really well.
Thanks Chandra! Like a scroll without the papyrus! I’m glad the text-image ‘unit’ moves well together. Thank you for your thoughts on the colour. I love how the screen illuminates.
Incredible… simply incredible, Steven
Many thanks Stephia for aiming your eye this way!
cubist intervals, hints of German Expressionism, and emotion depicted as distant cosmic light. This is an intriguing flow, Steven. I really like the interplay of nearness and distance in both the text and images.
Thank you Jack…emotion depicted as distant cosmic light… as I visualize this concept I want to paint these digital images on canvas reconciling with the suggestion hints of German Expressionism… which feels (also) like an emotional response…
I think of fireworks!
Thank you Karen, and so the sky is illumined….