Not Dream of Islands

 ‘Dawn came back and they were still in cities;
No marvellous creature rose up from the water…
Some waving pilgrims were describing islands.
“The gods,” they promised, “visit us from islands,
Are stalking head-up, lovely through the cities;
Now is the time …
to sail with them across the lime-green water….”
So many, doubtful, perished in the mountains
Climbing up crags to get a view of islands;
…Ah, water
Would gush, flush, green these mountains and these valleys,
And we rebuild our cities, not dream of islands.’
(W H Auden, May 1933)

Tom Benson | John Chilver | Jonathan Clark | Neil Gall | Paul Gaudet | Deme Georghiou | Jeremy Glogan | Sigrid Holmwood | Sally Kindberg | Mariana Mauricio | Caroline McCarthy | Damien Meade | Paul Morrison | Selma Parlour | Daniel Pettitt | Michael Stubbs | Mari Sunna | Neil Zakiewicz

2017, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 50 cm

All content copyright © Daniel Pettitt 2024