Calling
Your light always beckons me
Calls me, cajoles me
Along this stretch of road
I keep returning
As if there is something
I need to be told
It frustrates me
And compels me
At the same time
But if I don’t stop
It’s worse
I can’t leave it behind
Why? What is it?
Why do I come here
I feel like I am running on the spot
A strange satisfaction is my reward
A recognition of love twisted
Shared and adored
*****
Have you ever felt compelled to keep returning to a favourite stretch of road? I have known this road in Sussex [in the UK] all my life, often parking up and walking from certain spots from the road up to and along the Downs Way and other lesser known paths, as I used to with my family when I was young.
It feels as though it is imprinted on my DNA, and maybe by now it is. This road from Wilmington to Litlington and then on to Friston runs alongside the River Cuckmere in places, but then rises up above it so the views of the river in the valley below can be seen. It runs through different habitats and some beautiful villages, all with medieval Parish Churches. It also runs past the famous Long Man of Wilmington, a vast chalk outline figure of a man holding a rod in each hand, but the date of his original carving is unknown with any certainty.
But every time I drive along this road, it is different. The weather and the seasons keep me entranced, as do the parts that are scenically beautiful. But often it is when the weather can be harsh that the most atmospheric shots are taken, when things do not feel quite safe.
But here in this image, the weather was more benign. However, in this particular spot, despite the sunshine, there always seems to be a chill in the air. I do not know why I feel so compelled to stop at this point, but I do, and maybe one day I will find out.
This work can also be found on a new page about the Sussex landscape on my website, as I have written quite a few works inspired by the photography I have taken over the years recently, so I decided that there was going to be enough to merit the addition of a separate page on its own for those works that challenge our perception of what we are seeing and perhaps more accurately, what we are feeling.
The page is called Land Sense, and it is a celebration of how the landscape interacts with our emotions, our wellbeing and at times, the ability to take us out of our comfort zone.
More will be added over time, but here is a link where an introduction can be found and the poems designed in such a way that they become a complete work with the image as a viewing experience.
www.shelleyturnerpoetpix.com/land-sense
Calling
Your light always beckons me
Calls me, cajoles me
Along this stretch of road
I keep returning
As if there is something
I need to be told
It frustrates me
And compels me
At the same time
But if I don’t stop
It’s worse
I can’t leave it behind
Why? What is it?
Why do I come here
I feel like I am running on the spot
A strange satisfaction is my reward
A recognition of love twisted
Shared and adored
*****
Have you ever felt compelled to keep returning to a favourite stretch of road? I have known this road in Sussex [in the UK] all my life, often parking up and walking from certain spots from the road up to and along the Downs Way and other lesser known paths, as I used to with my family when I was young.
It feels as though it is imprinted on my DNA, and maybe by now it is. This road from Wilmington to Litlington and then on to Friston runs alongside the River Cuckmere in places, but then rises up above it so the views of the river in the valley below can be seen. It runs through different habitats and some beautiful villages, all with medieval Parish Churches. It also runs past the famous Long Man of Wilmington, a vast chalk outline figure of a man holding a rod in each hand, but the date of his original carving is unknown with any certainty.
But every time I drive along this road, it is different. The weather and the seasons keep me entranced, as do the parts that are scenically beautiful. But often it is when the weather can be harsh that the most atmospheric shots are taken, when things do not feel quite safe.
But here in this image, the weather was more benign. However, in this particular spot, despite the sunshine, there always seems to be a chill in the air. I do not know why I feel so compelled to stop at this point, but I do, and maybe one day I will find out.
This work can also be found on a new page about the Sussex landscape on my website, as I have written quite a few works inspired by the photography I have taken over the years recently, so I decided that there was going to be enough to merit the addition of a separate page on its own for those works that challenge our perception of what we are seeing and perhaps more accurately, what we are feeling.
The page is called Land Sense, and it is a celebration of how the landscape interacts with our emotions, our wellbeing and at times, the ability to take us out of our comfort zone.
More will be added over time, but here is a link where an introduction can be found and the poems designed in such a way that they become a complete work with the image as a viewing experience.
www.shelleyturnerpoetpix.com/land-sense