“The Slave Ship”
J.M.W. Turner (British School)
1775-1851
A wash of color.
Red emerges,
then yellow, white,
finally the darker colors.
A streak of brightness,
neither yellow nor white,
vertically slashes the canvas.
In the distance
the masts of the ship emerging
from the dark sea,
looking like blood-red capillaries
reaching into sky-brightness.
A foot emerging from waves,
toes pointing up,
dark loops,
ropes,
no bodies visible.
Concert Poster
a girl dances
floats
in white space one hip
navel exposed breasts
covered by a thin wrap nipple
protrudes
one arm flung
up flowers fall thrown
the other out straight hidden
beneath wrap fades to
no hand
legs sheer wrapped
black waves pulsate
around her echo her shape
in them
worlds radiate
stars
deep in space
failed dancers
Nude Descending a Staircase
the prism fallen cracked in
many pieces the eye trapped now
inside sees in all directions (no
longer limited by the skull) at once
all the long afternoon descending
the light dancing (no longer
limited by the eye
About the poet:
Steve Carter is a writer and jazz guitarist. He taught music and English at Berklee College of Music. His first book of poems, Intermodulations, was recently published by Maat Publishing (www.maatpublishing.net). His poetry has appeared in many magazines, including Hanging Loose, Carolina Review, Stand, and Clackamas Literary Review. He has 10 CDs of his music available on his independent record label, Frogstory Records (www.frogstoryrecords.com).
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