In the spirit of breaking new ground and in keeping with Macfilos’s coverage of all things Leica and L-mount, here is a variant on the traditional photo-essay format: a photo poem.
I composed it in a medieval Persian form called a ghazal (apparently pronounced ‘guzzle’), comprising a series of precisely prescribed couplets. It employs repetition and an intricate rhyming scheme which I think you will quickly recognise. It is customary in the final line of a ghazal to include the name of the poem’s author.
It is written in iambic heptameter, a meter with fourteen syllables per line and stresses on each even-numbered syllable, sometimes referred to as ‘fourteener’. You might recall from English Literature classes attended long ago that much of Shakespeare is written using its more popular cousin, iambic pentameter.
I illustrated it with black and white photographs — taken with my Leica, Lumix, and Sigma equipment — that I felt were sympathetic to each couplet. Depending upon your like or dislike of poetry, I hope it can be enjoyed at the level of image, verse, or, even better, their synthesis.
My Curated Life
I’ve reached that age where I feel led to contemplate my life To recognise those themes that grew to dominate my life
Like you, I’m just a one-off weave of genes and circumstance And not aware of any plans to duplicate my life
In seeking now to understand this person inside me I scroll through lists of key events that punctuate my life
Preoccupations, people, places - processed through my mind How each has served to simplify or complicate my life
Could I, the youth, foresee back then this point in space and time? The choices that would shape my path and so dictate my life?
Perhaps my aspiration was to learn and to explore And harness curiosity to motivate my life
As I reflect on how the twists and turns have led me here I count myself most fortunate to love, not hate, my life
Objectively, I weigh my contributions to our world Debating the criteria by which I’d rate my life
However satisfying listing all my triumphs feels When I’m long gone, will anyone appreciate my life?
If future generations seek to understand their roots Perhaps descendants of Keith James will then curate my life
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Hi Keith. Imaginative and thought provoking.
Your choice of monochrome to accompany your text is insightful in context.
And the use of light and shadow in the crisp tonal images was a joy to look through.
Favourite image – the flock of birds amongst the pier.
Hi Joerg-Peter, thank you so much! As I mentioned to Gerald, Mike deserves a lot of credit for being so open to experimentation. We recognized that this would be an unusual article, and so it is very pleasing to read that so far everyone has liked it. Macfilos readers are the best! Cheers, Keith
Keith
On the theme of experimentation, had you thought of using your undoubted creative skills into the field of videography? I could imagine the heart of a short video (My Curated Life) being a slide show of your excellent images together with a voice-over of your poem. The video could be expanded to demonstrate your passion for photography. If produced, perhaps our editor would be able to create a link for us to view it.
Chris
Dear Keith, thank you very much for this wonderful and surprising contribution. Somewhat extravagant in beautiful sense and another proof that Macfilos is different. I liked the poem, I liked the images, and I love the combination. It seems such conceptual work is something you have a huge talent for. Best wishes, Jörg-Peter
Poetry and photography are natural bedfellows and you demonstrate that symbiosis well. Thanks Keith.
Thank you Kevin! Having tried this out and enjoyed the challenge of integrating these two media, I will definitely be on the look out for other photo poem opportunities. Cheers, Keith
Much appreciated Keith both the poem and the pictures and how they compliment each other. You’ve nudged me to something I’ve always thought to do myself, not really the same but showing that what I want to do is possible. Thank you. Stay well. 🙏🏻
Thank you Gerald. I have to thank our fearless editor Mike, for taking a risk and posting this unusual piece. He really went the extra mile to help me figure out how best to format the mix of verse and image within the constraints of WordPress. All the best! Keith
I cannot come up with enough superlatives to describe this amazing piece Keith.
Truly inspirational both in images, and words.
Thank you so much Dave – that is very kind of you. I greatly appreciate your encouragement, and am very pleased that you like it. All the best! Keith
Absolutely wonderful! What a talent you are!
You are so kind Farhiz! Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed it! Cheers, Keith
Your images and words in combination are breathtakingly beautiful. Thank you!
Thank you Parisgirl for your very generous comment. I am so glad it hit the spot. All the best! Keith
Thank you for this educational, and intellectually challenging! work of art.
Hi Kathy, thank you! An occasional brain workout is good for us all, agreed? 🙂 Cheers, Keith
Never heard about ghazal, but that’s a beautiful introspection, both words and photographs, fully tonal ranged.
Thank you George, your comments are much appreciated. I am glad the piece also introduced you to the world of ghazals! All the best, Keith
Superb as well as unusual. Age 84 I deeply appreciate your reflections on your life, and the way they point to and receive from the beautiful monochrome images.
Hi John, and thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it. It is certainly a little out of the ordinary. I recently retired – a good time for some reflection I think. All the best, Keith
Thank you Keith for sharing such a beautiful poem. I have always envisioned beautiful images paired with poems. This tops them all.
Hi Dennis, thank you so much for your encouraging comment. It was a first for me, but a project I really enjoyed. All the best, Keith
Thanks Keith for a stunning read and a wonderful set of images. A great way to start the weekend. Like LeChef I first heard of Ghazal reading “A Suitable Boy”. There might be some Ghazal in Sayajit Ray’s film “The Music Room” but I saw it a while ago and my memory fails me.
Jean
Thank you Jean! I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the pointer to books and films that feature ghazals. I will definitely look them up. It is a rather obscure corner of the poetry world, but a fascinating one. Cheers, Keith
Wow! That’s just brilliant! I first read about ghazals when reading “A suitable boy”. This is hard work and requires quite a lot of preparation. The story of you life and reflections is beautiful – well done! The next question is do you plan on singing any of these lines?
Hi LeChef, many thanks! As you say, this form is technically more demanding than most, the choice of repetitive phrase and rhyming scheme being key. I am a poor representative of my homeland (Wales) in not being a singer, so will not be putting these lines to music anytime soon! Cheers, Keith