The following poem is inspired by Jack Cronin’s photograph. This poem seeks to engage in and explore ideas on analog, nature, ways of looking, and the Anthropocene. It is intended to be read alongside the photograph featured both above and below. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
To Peer Through a Lens
To rise and to fall
To peer through a lens
To shift
To bend
An imprint of light
An imprint of them
–
There stand the buildings
There stand the concrete walls
There I perceive
Through the lens of another
Through the eyes of someone else
The man-made structures,
The dry, skeletal formations.
–
There stand the buildings
There stand the concrete walls
Nestled into the trees
But the trees, they stand
Forgiving yet dark, and many
The trees, they stand
Tall ominous protectors of the scene.
–
There stand the buildings,
There stand the concrete walls,
But they do not exist in the river
The river, in black and white,
The river, reflecting light,
The river, with its unhurried shifts,
They do not exist in the river,
and the river, the river,
it continues to flow.
–
The trees reach for the empty sky
The river merges into the darkness
And flows down into the light
Until the buildings cease to appear
Until their imprint withdraws from sight
–
And it stays, the imprint cannot
Be swept away
Because the imprint is in the buildings,
In the trees, in the river, in the sky,
And in the image, the image
In the image the eye sees
What is here, what is there
In the image, I see
an imprint of light
an imprint of them.
What a beautifully evocative poem! It captures the complex relationship between nature and human structures, reflecting on how both coexist and influence each other. The imagery of the buildings and trees, alongside the flowing river, creates a poignant contrast that speaks to the Anthropocene’s impact on our environment. I love how the repetition of “there stand the buildings” emphasizes their presence while also highlighting their impermanence in the grand scheme of nature.
The notion of “imprints” is particularly compelling, as it suggests that even as physical structures may fade, their effects linger in the landscape and our memories. The way you intertwine light and shadow in your lines resonates with the dualities present in our modern world—between progress and preservation, construction and decay.
I’m curious about the inspiration behind this poem. How did Jack Cronin’s photograph influence your writing? Did any specific elements or feelings from the image guide your exploration of these themes? I’d love to hear more about your creative process and how you see the interplay between poetry and visual art! Regards Buğra Kaan Ersoy