DEEP WITHIN THE CAVE

a poem

 

Working diligently, artists paint using

   flint burins, by flickering lamp lights,

with  wicks of lichen, deep within cool

   rock cave recesses, only specific areas

illuminate, as some sculpt, while others

   engrave, symbols, mysterious; horses,

fish, mammoth, bison, reindeer, that

   they hunt or encounter, providing rich

supplies of ivory bone and hide, using

   preciously sought minerals, of powd-

-erd haematite with calcium phosphate,

   conceiving pigments of yellow, red and

black, struggling through bitter ice cold,

  conditions of weather, each cave painter’s

earnest decorations, represent, seasonal

 variations, of arduous hunting conventions, 

astute  cave dwellers armed with deadly

 spears set off to tackle the wild reindeers.

 

 

Author's Note

Painting of a Bison
feedback would be most welcome

Reviews

[emmajoy]

Oh to return to Lascaux! What a wonderful prose.poem this is, you've travelled from long since, creating miniatures of past time's creations by ancient man. The use of minerals in the post really does reflect forensic artwork. Great and interesting piece of informed creativity from YOU, Sheema

[SHEEMA HUQ]

this is such an unplifting review from you Emma Joy, I am truly honored

[Pax]

you open your work in such description of a narrative type of poetry... i enjoyed much the imagery you had brought and the feelings of each stroke of the artwork in my hands... great!

[SHEEMA HUQ]

thank you so much Pax, this is one of those ones which I was unsure about and so i'm especially thankful for your uplifing review :0)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Hi Sheema, this starts out with promise and has an educational quality to it. I did get lost by the ending!

[SHEEMA HUQ]

thanks, it would be good of you to comment about where you 'got lost, towards the end, I felt that the poem flowed logically, though I am always looking to improve my writing

[Ed Hart]

they gathered in secret rough and rocky wombs, giving birth to the mysterious, a ministry lost in time, and hinted at later in those man-made caves we call cathedrals

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Ok great thanks very much Ed, though you've taken a massive leap in time I reckon....:)

[lee von cleef]

The cave dwellers, cold tough life to us looking back, carrying all our present thoughts with us, But we don't have their eyes, their minds, their nose, we have forgotten the feel for our surroundings,the rhythm of the seasons,but in us they are or we wouldn't stare in awe ,intrigued by the mystery they sprayed forward on the wall of our inner clocks.

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Thank you so much Lee for commenting I was hoping to capture, at least a glimmer of what the enviornment must have felt like in a concise way, have a good rest of the day, my friend