Needles from the low off Antarctica
spun from a face of angry ice
spray snatched into the sky
this mighty engine.
the water’s green and planktonic
no line or floor
humpbacks below
sailing a darker green.
out of options, breathless
a man decides happiness.
Image: Vincent P. Taylor [in inflatable rubber suit] floating on San Francisco Bay, Sept. 29th, 1926 / Taylor Family photographs and State Library of NSW on Flickr. Opening day at my local swimming pool was a bit blustery. A quadrille for Dverse where Lillian is hosting and asks us to use the word ‘happy’.
And since we’re talking about it, here’s my happy place – Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Here’s the Aria by piano superstar Lang Lang (just ignore the cheesy camera work — maybe close your eyes for five minutes.)
Peter Frankis writes 
You’ve done something magical with your 44 words, Peter – I hear the sounds of your poetry, and the song behind them. A welcome slice of eccentric happiness.
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Thanks Ingrid, eccentric indeed.
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He looks like the Prussian commander of a capsized airship. If that’s happiness…
Strange but I see this is for the dverse prompt. It wasn’t up for me yet! How do you do it?
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Thanks Jane, yes it’s a great photo isn’t it? Though like many stunt-persons, there’s a tragic end to his story – https://kiamalocalhistory.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/the-australian-aeronaut-visits-kiama-show/.
(bartender’s privileges 😉)
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I missed the tragedy, I’m afraid. He sounds like a right nutter who put a lot of people to a lot of trouble to rescue him. Then he died. I don’t understand people like that. It makes a fun read though 🙂
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the stanza about whales made me happy . thanks
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(me too )
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I love how you weave words, and this poem is no exception to that. Your poetic abilities often amaze me and I love this magical essence of this piece regarding happiness. I agree with you that we can decide happiness, we can choose happiness at times. Not all the time, of course, but we can see through a different lens moments that have happened, along with moments that make us truly happy.
I love the imagery in this piece as well. Beautifully written.
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Well this is an interesting tale! A daredevil in this suit with his paddles….deciding to brave the elements and thus show his bravado. Alas….only the humpbacks come out of this tale victorious.
Isn’t it amazing what people will do? Whether it’s in 1926 or 2020!
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The connection between opening day at your swimming pool and Vincent Taylor fascinates me. Thanks for sharing that bit of obscure history!
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decides happiness
Oh, this is ALL just SO good!
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This is gorgeously timely and poignant. An individual must decide where happiness lies and what to do in order to achieve it. 💝 Especially love; “the water’s green and planktonic no line or floor.” 🙂
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Taylor is like Houdini of the air. Funny you compared your taking a cold plunge on opening day at the pool to his daredevil act and deciding you’re having fun. I’ve done that with plunges in Lake MI a time or two and it’s true, once you acclimate it is a lot of fun. Bach’s Goldberg Variations — and Bach in general — are also a happy place for me, but I have the Keith Jarrett disc.
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So
Much in this. I like the Aussie weather report, the sky as an engine. Planktonic is a great word! Conjures up so much from a friendship to a drink for boards! Then of course it comes down to that choice. May we make that choice before there’s no more options
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May i never be in his position to have to choose, but we all have our own circumstances.
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I love how all the images tell the story here. I can almost feel the water and the humpbacks below. A climactic and satisfying end. Good one!
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Thanks Tricia, glad you liked.
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As I commented to Ron, happiness is relative. The opening stanza gave me the child, Peter, with the excellent use of sibilance to convey the icy spray, and I love the use of colour in the second stanza – and the humpbacks ‘sailing a darker green’. Your quadrille left me breathless.
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(but I hope not chilled 🙂)
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It should have said gave me the chills, which I have this morning as it is cold and rainy and I have no heat in my study! 😉
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Oh dear – hope you can find a duvet or a warm pet.
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Both cats are out in the rain! I have a cup of cranberry and raspberry tea and a warm cardigan that will do for now. 😉
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Floating is almost as good as flying. (K)
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It seems a strange bit of happiness to me, but to each his or her own. 😀 Lovely poem.
Cool photo, and I love the Aria from the Goldberg Variations.
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I have seen so many marvelous nature programs from the water of Australia… but I have never considered how cold it is… and happiness can of course be the process of floating if the alternative is to sink.
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