THE BLACK SEA AT NIGHT... (My new poem inspired by Ivan Aivazovsky's painting...)

 The Black Sea At Night…

(Inspired by a painting from 1879 by Ivan Aivazovsky…)

A full moon peeks through a dirge of sky laden with threat,

Bustling its lunar gleam between masses of black cloud, 

Prioritising itself by its domination of an upcoming storm

And casting a poignant light upon an ocean, pallid green and  susceptible…

Dwarfed by the enormity of the scenario, a masted vessel rocks yet

And wavers silently beneath the morose, grim and furious shroud 

Of raincloud, shifting and drifting in the relative calm 

Of a sinister, approaching squall, alluring as it is contemptible…

Pete Ray…

24th February 2026…   

The artist seems to add beauty to threat, oppression to calm and excitement to tranquility…

The thoughts of the inimitable Sand Martin...

‘A ship moving through the sea in the dead of night is a beautiful image and leads to quiet contemplation. 

As the moonlight illuminates clouds above, it is reflected upon the surface of the sea, thus lighting up the midsized ship. 

The pleasing proportions of the night sky to the sea are ideal. The white moon almost in the centre but high up in the top two-thirds section of the painting draws attention to the dramatic sky. 

One senses the movement of the clouds that could possibly hide the moon at any moment and darken the silver green tones of the sea hiding the ship from sight.

One wonders why on such a night there are no lights illuminating the ship itself. Thoughts of illicit cargo, law enforcement, or enemy action requiring stealth and secrecy enter the mind. 

The bright moon has other ideas and illuminates like a colossal floodlight.

The sea around the ship appears to be fairly calm although in the forefront of the painting higher waves are apparent as if rocks or a shoreline are nearby. 

Perhaps an imminent storm is about to disturb the calm sea. 

Despite these questions and thoughts the painting achieves a dramatic calmness by the use of a limited palette mostly of black, blue, green and white in various mixes, into a really stunning composition.’