Sea Surface Full Of Clouds

"Sea Surface Full Of Clouds" - Wallace Stevens


I

In that November off Tehuantepec,
The slopping of the sea grew still one night
And in the morning summer hued the deck

And made one think of rosy chocolate
And gilt umbrellas. Paradisal green
Gave suavity to the perplexed machine

Of ocean, which like limpid water lay.
Who, then, in that ambrosial latitude
Out of the light evolved the morning blooms,

Who, then, evolved the sea-blooms from the clouds
Diffusing balm in that Pacific calm?
C’était mon enfant, mon bijou, mon âme.

The sea-clouds whitened far below the calm
And moved, as blooms move, in the swimming green
And in its watery radiance, while the hue

Of heaven in an antique reflection rolled
Round those flotillas. And sometimes the sea
Poured brilliant iris on the glistening blue.

II

In that November off Tehuantepec
The slopping of the sea grew still one night.
At breakfast jelly yellow streaked the deck

And made one think of chop-house chocolate
And sham umbrellas. And a sham-like green
Capped summer-seeming on the tense machine

Of ocean, which in sinister flatness lay.
Who, then, beheld the rising of the clouds
That strode submerged in that malevolent sheen,

Who saw the mortal massives of the blooms
Of water moving on the water-floor?
C’était mon frère du ciel, ma vie, mon or.

The gongs rang loudly as the windy booms
Hoo-hooed it in the darkened ocean-blooms.
The gongs grew still. And then blue heaven spread

Its crystalline pendentives on the sea
And the macabre of the water-glooms
In an enormous undulation fled.

III

In that November off Tehuantepec,
The slopping of the sea grew still one night
And a pale silver patterned on the deck

And made one think of porcelain chocolate
And pied umbrellas. An uncertain green,
Piano-polished, held the tranced machine

Of ocean, as a prelude holds and holds,
Who, seeing silver petals of white blooms
Unfolding in the water, feeling sure

Of the milk within the saltiest spurge, heard, then,
The sea unfolding in the sunken clouds?
Oh! C’était mon extase et mon amour.

So deeply sunken were they that the shrouds,
The shrouding shadows, made the petals black
Until the rolling heaven made them blue,

A blue beyond the rainy hyacinth,
And smiting the crevasses of the leaves
Deluged the ocean with a sapphire blue.

IV

In that November off Tehuantepec
The night-long slopping of the sea grew still.
A mallow morning dozed upon the deck

And made one think of musky chocolate
And frail umbrellas. A too-fluent green
Suggested malice in the dry machine

Of ocean, pondering dank stratagem.
Who then beheld the figures of the clouds
Like blooms secluded in the thick marine?

Like blooms? Like damasks that were shaken off
From the loosed girdles in the spangling must.
C’était ma foi, la nonchalance divine.

The nakedness would rise and suddenly turn
Salt masks of beard and mouths of bellowing,
Would—But more suddenly the heaven rolled

Its bluest sea-clouds in the thinking green,
And the nakedness became the broadest blooms,
Mile-mallows that a mallow sun cajoled.

V

In that November off Tehuantepec
Night stilled the slopping of the sea.
The day came, bowing and voluble, upon the deck,

Good clown… One thought of Chinese chocolate
And large umbrellas. And a motley green
Followed the drift of the obese machine

Of ocean, perfected in indolence.
What pistache one, ingenious and droll,
Beheld the sovereign clouds as jugglery

And the sea as turquoise-turbaned Sambo, neat
At tossing saucers—cloudy-conjuring sea?
C’était mon esprit bâtard, l’ignominie.

The sovereign clouds came clustering. The conch
Of loyal conjuration trumped. The wind
Of green blooms turning crisped the motley hue

To clearing opalescence. Then the sea
And heaven rolled as one and from the two
Came fresh transfigurings of freshest blue.




(thanks John)

In the moment of the meantime

Venice Queen - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Does it go from east to west - yaw
Body free and a body less - yaw
Come again just to start afresh and
Once again to find a home
In the moment of the meantime

Dropping in coming through the mesh - yaw
Checking in just to get it blessed - yaw
Hard to leave when it's picturesque and
Find a form that's free the roam
Where you come from
Where you going
Where you come from
Where you going

Do it all then it all again - yaw
Make it up and you make a friend - yaw
Paddle on just around the bend and
Find a place where you can see
All the mamas and the papas

Take a chance on a recommend - yaw
Hard as hell just to comprehend - yaw
Disbelief that I do suspend - yaw
Easy now to find a breeze and
Where you come from
Where you going
Where you come from
Where you going

We all want to tell her
Tell her that we love her
Venice gets a queen
Best I've ever seen
We all want to kiss her
Tell her that we miss her
Venice gets a queen
Best I've ever

I know you said you don't believe
In god do you still disagree
Now that it's time for you to leave
G.L.O.R.I.A is love my friend
my friend my friend

Your stylish mess of silver hair
A woman of your kind is rare
Your uniform returns to air
G.L.O.R.I.A is love my friend
my friend my friend

And now it's time for you to go
You taught me most of what I know
Where would I be without you Glo
G.L.O.R.I.A is love my friend
my friend my friend

I see you standing by the sea
The waves you made will always be
A kiss goodbye before you leave
G.L.O.R.I.A is love my friend
my friend my friend