Tags
absence, Arseniy Tarkovsy, botanical, London, photography, poetry, psychogeography, shadows, summer, walking, words
Walk
Stop
Look down
Record
Repeat
But There Has To Be More
Now summer is gone
And might never have been.
In the sunshine it’s warm.
But there has to be more.
It all came to pass,
All fell into my hands
Like a five-petalled leaf,
But there has to be more.
Nothing evil was lost,
Nothing good was in vain,
All ablaze with clear light
But there has to be more.
Life gathered me up
Safe under its wing,
My luck always held,
But there has to be more.
Not a leaf was burnt up
Not a twig ever snapped…
Clean as glass is the day,
But there has to be more.
Arseniy Tarkovsky (translated by Kitty Hunter Blair)
dianajhale 
Hi Diana,
I love Tarkovsky, Sculpting in Time is a masterpiece! All the better for having Arseniy’s poem’s included.
Nice shadows.
Such a great exercise. I, too, liked that repeating line. Makes one stop and think.
Thanks Emily – I like things in series and I must have picked up on that repetition in the poem subconsciously!
Hi. Shadows are always so interesting… a copy of the original yet not. Nice post. Jane
Thanks for agreeing Jane.
Framing and focusing the ephemeral traces of presence/absence…great Diana.
I love ‘ephemeral traces’!
This is really interesting. I used to be someone who sprayed that blue paint, so perhaps I see something different to others in this! The poem caught my eye too – though it called to mind PJ Harvey’s cover version of That’s All There Is…
Those marks seem mysterious to the passing observer but I often wonder what the code is! Everyone seems to pick up on that song and I can’t get it out of my head now!
In the comments, the Peggy Lee song comparison is not one I would have thought but, of course, runs through my head as I re-read and enjoy yet another perspective. Each time there is more in post, poem, and photo.
Beautiful.
Karen
Same here but it is so apt isn’t it? Thanks Karen.
Lovely post as always, Diana. I’ve been obsessed with photographing shadows lately myself.
Thanks Tyran. I love your increasingly abstract images!
Wonderful shadow pictures, Diana! Interesting what they evoke. Makes me think of Plato’s “the cave.” what is real, what is shadow?
Thanks for reminding me of that – I was going to refer to it in my next post!
I love these quiet, delicate photographs Diana. how familiar and beautiful. That is an intriguing blue shade on the penultimate one.
The poem reminds me of the most poignant song Peggy Lee sings “Is that all there is?” In lots of ways, life is a fizzer compared what you thought it was/would be at 18. Turns out it’s actually a lot more than that and lots fizzier! Philippa
Thanks Jane – the blue makes a good contrast. You are not the only one to be reminded of that song! Song and poem are definitely both poignant.
Lovely poem. “There has to be more.” I like the repetition of that line.
Thanks – it is effective isn’t it.