Sea | The Cold Tap Sings

August 1, 2018

From the Desert to the Deep Blue Sea

Driving from Las Vegas to Seattle via Grand Canyon and Yellowstone

5 mountain passes
4 national forests
3 Indian reservations
1 continental divide
4 national parks
3 campsites
3 waterfalls
2 volcanoes
12 lakes
10 gas stations
3 roundabouts
4 diners
3 motels
3 yellow Volkswagen Beetles
2 bald eagles
1 western tanager
0 condors
6 burgers
1 circumhorizontal arc
38 coffees
4 dust devils
5 buffalo herds
2 cowboys
5 hikes
1 float
2 cars

2,772 miles
2.5 weeks
2 companions

Sunday 17th June – Tuesday 3rd July 2018

April 27, 2014

39,009 ft

39,009 ft

Fasten seat belt while seated
Life vest under your seat

a ten se sea
under you

be w i se
Li ve

February 6, 2014

TRUMPET SOLO

Trumpet Solo

Last night I had a dream
That you had a dream
That I ran out of words

I went down to the beach
Put a trumpet to my lips
And played to the waves

My song was a solo
An improvised solo
An unaccompanied improvised solo

It told them I had a dream
That you had a dream
That I ran out of words

And the waves went on breaking
While a sleek yacht
Sliced through their crests

Towards a different horizon

1 Comment

March 23, 2013

THE CLIFFS NEAR VÍK Í MÝRDAL

photo: Robin Boothroyd

I’ve spent the past few days gathering my thoughts about my recent trip to Iceland. I’ll be posting poems and journal entries on The Cold Tap Sings over the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Let’s start with a poem about the sea meeting the cliffs near Vík í Mýrdal on Iceland’s south coast. The form mimics the effect of waves breaking.

***

The Cliffs Near Vík í Mýrdal

the
the waves
the waves sculpt
the waves sculpt basalt
the waves sculpt basalt columns
the waves sculpt basalt
the waves sculpt
the waves
the
the tides
the tides push
the tides push & pull
the tides pull
the tides
the
the sea
the
the shore
the
the sea
the sea shore
the sea shore sings
the sea shore sings eternally
in the cathedral of the sky

***

More on Iceland here. Check out ‘Fathom’, my suite about the sea, here.

2 Comments

August 12, 2012

FATHOM – KELP-CLUSTERS

Having climbed to the crest of the wave of ‘Fathom‘ with Segments, we’re now on the descent to the trough.

More recordings from Fathom are on my SoundCloud page here.

Tag: Sea