EVENING: BURNHAM OVERY STAITHE... (My new poem inspired by a William Burns painting...)

 Evening: Burnham Overy Staithe…

(Inspired by a William Burns painting…)

I walked there recently, stepped across the parking-lot potholes 

Onto the exposed causeway, which like a long fractured limb

Leads in stretches across the tidal channels, past creeks of glorious slime,

Hearing the cries of squabbling redshanks, the wavering warbles of curlews

And the sharp piping of irritable oystercatchers, busy in the mire,

Whilst godwits dig their long bills into the soft mud at low-tide

And avocets’ silent black beaks swish from side to side in the shallows.

The elevated path eventually leads to sand dunes and the sea 

But the marshes were my true delight…

The painting features a row of vessels, like great egrets unsure of their roles

And their dotted reflections in the sublime blue sea contrast strongly with the grim,

Dark, grassy marshland, weathered and withered by tides and time. 

Yet the sky dominates the scene, like an explosion from a lit fuse,

A fury of cream rays, striped by shadowy charcoal evening clouds into a celestial fire.

The spectacular theatre over the small settlement, quiet and dignified

Rises like chaos as daylight fades and evening inevitably follows,

As the Staithe stands resolutely firm from the wiles of the sea,

Over the marshes, harsh and contrite…

Pete Ray…

17th March 2026…   

I really like Burnham Overy Staithe and this painting offers a different perspective…

Below are just a few of my photos of the settlement...

The thoughts of the independent source, The Sand Martin...

‘This stunning scene is a fascinating painting of sky and sea.

The sky here is the main feature occupying roughly two thirds of the picture and is a terrifying yet beautiful vision of the power of Mother Nature. 

We see the full force of a mighty storm that is about to break. Tremendous storm clouds gather high up and are painted in deep grey and blue tones. Although some areas of brightness and lighter blue are visible, the strong downward strokes of grey and the low grey clouds indicate that a storm is gathering and about to be unleashed. 

As the strokes fan out to either side from a central aspect, one can imagine an enormous Greek God on a chariot hurtling out of that sky.

The storm itself may be at some distance from the small boats moored in the lower third of the painting. Here they are in the safety offered by the water channel at some distance from the sea. Their white masts and paintwork draw attention and contrast with the blue of the water and dull brownish greens of the vegetation next to the water.

There is a very interesting contrast between these small boats safely moored in the calm of a channel and the tremendously powerful thundery sky. 

In this impressive painting one can see the safety of the calm water and the danger of a dynamic sky over the sea, as opposing forces are clearly expressed and beautifully painted…’