Creeping vines crumble the plaster walls
Dust motes waft in beams through the open ceiling
Cracked marble floors in the once grand halls
Where orchestras performed waltzes for the season
And where ladies danced in silken gowns
Spread rusty stains from dripping water
Now the molding carpet with rain is drowned
A priceless Persian, now in tatters
The chandeliers no longer light the cavernous ruin
With stairways wrecked and railings collapsed
Gilded fixtures flaked and broken
And the floor beneath windows littered with glass
The realm where rats and bats and spiders lurk
And at the sound of footsteps scurry away
The flash of light invades the dark
As the artist’s camera finds beauty in decay
Beauty In Decay – G Haskew Photography
I love this series of photographs and the whole Urban Exploration project. Project? I’m not even sure what to call it. The collection of photographs of abandoned structures and objects is absolutely stunning. You can find some of the photography on line by googling “beauty in decay” or you can find the collection in a set of gorgeous coffee table books.
Words and photo work well together: there is something about our recent ruins that is so sumptuous yet sad. Nice work.
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Thanks, Roger! This photography collection is really stunning if you get the chance to check it out!
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Indeed it is: I have been following it. It really makes me think about so much recent loss and the abrupt and radical changes in our ways of living.
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Yes, indeed. We are losing ground to chaos and decay…
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Wow! I love this, Meg. 🙂 I love the imagery conveyed through your words. I also love your use of rhyme. A beautiful poem. 🙂
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Thank you, Brenda! I’m fascinated by this collection of photographs. And they conjure all sorts of inspiration for writing!
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I would love to view them. 🙂 But I’m not sure where to go.
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Google “beauty in decay” – many of the photos are online!
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Thanks, Meg. 🙂
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Your words go beautifully with the photograph! So nicely done. I love these kinds of photos as well. I follow a blog on another site that posts them. Their stories are so intriguing!
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Thank you, Kay! So you mind sharing that blog? I’d love to follow along!
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My pleasure. Are you on Tumblr?
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Yep!
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Okie dokie!
http://abandoned.photos
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Awesome! Thanks!
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Sure!
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Beautifully done. Your words go so well with this gorgeous photo.
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Thank you so much! 😃
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That picture makes me want to restore the space to its former glory. I can just imagine the women in their gowns back in the day!
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Yes! Me too! I’m amazed at how many of these structures there are!
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Amazing, Meg!!! This is so wonderful and reminds me of the things I love to write about. A window into a past life.
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Yes! I love imagining these places at the height of their glory. 😃
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😏
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Wonderful piece and I love the matching picture:)
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Thank you Paul! 😀
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You’re welcome Meg
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I love places like this. I’ve got a few sites bookmarked. Just fascinates me. There was an abandoned mental hospital not far from me and we explored a bit (before we had kids… and well, illegally). It was amazing and fascinating and just really beautiful. And soon after, they leveled it and built condos. Which makes me so sad.
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Your words were perfect for this photo.
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Thank you. This is a great series!
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Wonderful poem! I’ve seen this kind of photographic work before and it’s so breathtaking.
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It really is. It stirs my imagination like crazy.
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Absolutely stunning… So much emotion in just one picture.
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I do love this series. Thank you so much!
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Your write up is amazing. Describes what I experience everyday to a T
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Nice photo and article, love the light trails 🙂
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