“WASH”
a series of poems about water as a lover, enemy, friend, and ex-lover, published in Slow Invasion, Slow Revelation (2017).
This collective publication by artists Louise Allain, Katerina Ashche, Sophia Fishman, Ketevan Gvinepadze, Sylvie-Layal Nakle and Rae Teitelbaum was conceptualized as a print-based exhibition. The contents and design of the exhibition together with Do the Print, Anna Pahissa and Ariadna Guiteras.
Water as a Lover
SHE IS PART WATER AND PART BLISS
SOFT AND SWEET
SHE CRAWLS ONTO ME
LIKE TOWERING SEAWEED THAT WRAPS AROUND FEET
TONGUES THEY DO PLUNGE
INTO RISING WAVES AND SEAS
SWEPT UP BETWEEN WAVES
AND THE WAY THAT SHE BREATHES
AS WAVES DO
WE CRASH AND RISE AND FALL
AMIDST THE SHIPS
THE FAUNA AND ORA
WE KISS UNTIL THE SUN COMES FULL CIRCLE IN THE SKY
SHE TASTES LIKE EARTH AND PLEASANT BRINE
SHE SWALLOWED ME UP
BROUGHT ME TO THE DEEP
SLOWLY SINKING DOWN TO LAY BENEATH THE REEFS
IN BETWEEN THE SAND AND FISH
SHE WAVERS IN THE LIGHT BEAMS
GLIMMERING IN THE TIDES
IN AND OUT OF GIANT WAVES
MY DEAR SHE AND I
Water as an Ex-lover
A YOUNGER ME FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE FEELING OF YOU,
SEE, YOU DEAR, HAD QUITE THE PRESENCE
IN THE SPRING, I VISITED YOU EVERY DAY
WHEN I DID NOT KNOW YOU YET
YOUR WATERS WERE AT FIRST, COLD
THEN WARM
AS SUMMER CAME IN
THE SUN REBORN
WE SPENT ALL OUR DAYS
INTERTWINED AS ONE
AMIDST THE WARM WATERS
AND THE BEAMING HOT SUN
SEASONS CAME AND SEASONS WENT
AND SOON ENOUGH
I BECAME TIRED OF YOU
I WAS SEASICK AND TIRED OF
MY HANDS BEING PRUNED
THE SOUND OF WAVES SUDDENLY STALE TOO
THE WAVES I ONCE LOVED
TO JUMP IN AND SWIM
BECAME CRUELER AND MORE FORCEFUL
YOUR LOVE GREW THIN
YOU BECAME GRAY AND WEARY
YOUR WATERS MORE DIM
THE FEELING OF YOU HAD CHANGED
AND I NO LONGER WANTED TO STAY
THOUGH SURELY YOU KNEW THIS COULDN’T BE OUR FATE
I WAS NOT BUILT TO LIVE IN THE SEA
I HAVE HANDS, STRONG WILL, EYES AND FEET
YOU, AN UNTAMED, MIGHTY AND CONTROLLING SEA
YOU ARE UGLIER AND MORE IMPURE OF HEART
STILL YOU BECAME ENRAGED
ALL THE SUDDEN,
YOUR ROARING SEA GREW
MUCH HIGHER THAN I HAD EVER SEEN
YOU LASHED AND SNARLED
AND THUNDERED
YOU ARE FORCEFUL AND STRONG AND
MUCH LARGER THAN ME
SO, I BECAME AFRAID YOU MIGHT SINK ME
AND SWALLOW
BUT AT SIX FEET HIGH
AT YOUR VERY MOST PEAK
YOUR WAVES THEY FINALLY FELL
YOU SHATTERED LIKE GLASS ALL AT ONCE
THE ROARING SEA
QUIETED DOWN TO A HUM
AND ALL THE SUDDEN YOU LET ME FREE
TO LEAVE AS QUIETLY AS I’D COME
A TRAIL OF YOU BEGAN TO GROW
BEHIND ME AS I LEFT
SALT AND SEAWEED
SUFFOCATING FISH
LEFT FLOPPING BY THE EDGE
OF YOU
Water as a Friend
RIVER RISES AND RIVER FALLS
BUT PERHAPS THIS RIVER ISN’T A RIVER AT ALL
WHY ELSE WOULD SHE HOLD ME SO TENDERLY
IN HER OWING ARMS, SHE ROCKS ME
MY BODY OATS LIKE ALGAE
BEAMING TO THE TOP
I RISE AND FALL WITH THE RIVERS FLOW
TO MATCH HER ROUGH AND SOFT
I KNOW THIS RIVERS NAME,
SHE SINGS IT SOFTLY TO ME
I KNOW BECAUSE SHE’S EVERY RIVER,
LAKE, SEA AND STREAM
THAT I HAVE EVER KNOWN
THIS IS JUST HER NEW FORM
WHEN FRIENDS TURN TO LIQUID
WHERE MUST THEY GO
THEY BECOME STRONG GUARDIANS OF THE NATURAL WORLD
PROTECTORS OF WATER, WIND, FIRE AND EARTH
WE MUST ALL COME FROM AN ELEMENT
OF THAT I AM QUITE SURE
NOW THAT I KNOW THE VOICE BETWEEN THE TIDES
I CAN VISIT HER ANY TIME THAT I LIKE
SHE WILL SING TO ME
THE LULLABY OF THE SEA
I’LL BREATHE IT IN
LET IT WASH OVER ME
SEE, FOR QUITE SOME TIME
WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER
THIS INFINITE RIVER AND I
I KNOW I CAN’T FORGET YOU NOW
FEELS LIKE ONE HUNDRED LIVES
Water as an Enemy
SWALLOWED WHOLE
EATEN ALIVE
YOU HAVE NO CONTROL
OF YOUR VERACIOUS APPETITE
SUNKEN EYES REST SECRETLY
ON THE FILTHY, MUCK FILLED BOTTOM
BLACK AND INDIGO WATERS OOZE
FROM EVERY PORE IN YOUR SKIN
UNABLE TO STOP ONCE YOU BEGIN
GROWING MADDER AND LARGER
AMID THE BELLOWS AND SCREAMS
YOUR WATERS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH THE SCENT OF MEAT
OF HUMANS, ANIMALS AND THOSE IN BETWEEN
NO ONE IS SAFE WITH YOU
BENEATH THE WATERFALLS AND THE FISH’S NESTS
YOUR VINES DO CRAWL LIKE SNAKES
SLITHERING AROUND WITH DEMONIC EYES
MAKING SURE EVERYTHING THAT ENTERS LEAVES DEAD
YOU WAIT FOREVER FOR THINGS TO FALL IN
SO, YOU CAN BECOME THEIR ABSOLUTE FATE
YOU ARE LOVED BY NO ONE AND HATED BY ALL
DESTROYER OF LOVE AND LIGHT
WATER LIKE TAR
AND A STENCH OF DECAY
YOUR RIVERS SEEM JUST AS INNOCENT AS ANY OTHER
SO, THEY’LL RUN TO JUMP AND PLAY
BUT BY THE TIME THEY REALIZE WHO YOU ARE
IT’S FAR TOO LATE TO BE SAVED
THEY ARE BITTEN AND SWALLOWED
WHOLE AND ALIVE
DROWNED BY THE VILE, YOU
