Glazed tile made in the workshop of Niculoso Francisco in Seville, Spain circa 1520-1550. The central quatrefoil is endorsed by four linked semicircles enclosing stylized floral motifs.
A panel in the Museo do Azuleso, Lisbon, Portugal shows the full decorative effect of this design. The tile is part of my collection of antique tiles from Seville.
Look closely at my weary face
a roadmap of Sevilla etched within the fine lines,
scattered among the delicate flowers and leaves,
my beautiful image faded by time's passage.
Once part of a magnificent sala in the Alcazar Palace:
The Moors wiped their boots here
before their last sigh.
And there, a slight indention caused
by the invaders' horses' hooves.
Diplomats cooled their heels in the Salon de Embarjadores,
waiting for the restless attention of the Emir of Andalus.
The flamenco was danced with abandon across my Niculoso design -
see those dark scuff marks there and over there?
A sultry senorita waved her fan furiously, flinging it in impatience
on a hot night in Barrio Santa Cruz, scratching that corner,
as she scorned the advances of a poor wandering minstrel.
A guitarist played plaintive melodies on the banks of the Guadalquivir,
while awaiting an audience with the Caliph's vizier.
Jugglers' wooden pins clattered against my glazed surface,
as visitors strolled through summer festivals
in the fragrant evening shadow of La Giralda.
Gypsies selling oranges raked their painted fingernails over my leaves,
while eyeing wealthy men calling on the king and queen.
Many came to ask their blessings for travel
far across the sea, hoping to expand Spain's horizons.
Cristoforo Colombo waited two years here, seeking
Isabella's patronage for three sailing ships.
All these moments came and went and new worlds were found.
Still I survived, my face bearing witness to history:
songs of conquerors, adventurers, discoverers and zealots;
odes of love and passion; epics of greed and betrayal.
Stories of battles won and alliances lost;
of shifting loyalties and three religions' influence.
Tales of Sevilla and Andalucia:
the heartbeat of Spain!
This poem was written for Poetry Thursday.
Beautiful, just beautiful - I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed your poem and how much I learned from it. I am going to have to send a link to my friend who has just returned from Spain - I am sure she will love it!
Posted by: Lotus | 25 June 2006 at 17:52
Absolutely fantastic Tara so lovely and poignant!
My Best-
Kristen
Posted by: Kristen Robinson | 17 June 2006 at 06:21
Keep collecting those tiles if it inspires such wonderful poetic tales! Thanks for sharing both.
Posted by: Kara | 17 June 2006 at 01:45
I love the poem, and the tile is beautiful. I'd like to see more of your collection.
Posted by: boliyou | 17 June 2006 at 00:10
This poem is like an overflowing treasure.....your writing is so great. I am in awe....
Posted by: Thea | 16 June 2006 at 19:08
Beautiful ceramic! You're talented!
Posted by: Chelle | 16 June 2006 at 18:12
Hi Tara,
A poem so rich, reflective with a great sense of history, full of imagination, rythm and accompnied with such a fine picture...its a wondrous treat..its simply great!And i love it!
Posted by: abhay | 16 June 2006 at 17:33
thank you for your comment! the poem is about my bad dream last night. i did earthquake poem a few weeks ago.
you have a nice blog. i like your 'treasure' from flea market and your art experience. interesting!
if you would like to read my indonesian art experience, please check http://ubudblu.blogspot.com. nice day!
Posted by: haimavat | 16 June 2006 at 13:56
Your poem made me Feel Seville! I wonder what is happening in Paris at this moment! it is morning here in Charleston, SC and kinda warm! I see that you are from the South! I so enjoy visiting your site! Pam Aries
Posted by: Pam Aries | 16 June 2006 at 13:20
great poem..i always believed that the each small detail had a big story behind...this piece of art tells me the stories of middle east ,,religion...art..and nature
nice article
Posted by: haiderdroubi | 16 June 2006 at 12:10
These walls do talk. I love what this tile says. Beautiful.
Posted by: deirdre | 16 June 2006 at 06:58
Wonderful poem.
After I read it, I showed this post to my wife and we both had a big laugh, mostly because we have a vivid memory of our trip to Seville a few years back. We bought a beautiful antique wood table with Jewish-Arabic gold inlay symbols. We paid more than we would ever did for anything before, and we had it delivered to California. Of course, it ended up being a fake. But we still love it.
Want to trade your tiles for our table?
Posted by: Neil | 16 June 2006 at 03:10
"If Tiles Could Talk" -- what a great poem.
My favorite line:
Still I survived, my face bearing witness to history:
Posted by: Dani | 16 June 2006 at 02:23
You've hit the nail on the head, again!
Wonderful poem. Still not quite sure how you manage to do it on such a regular basis. :)
Posted by: madeleine | 16 June 2006 at 01:48
wow, this is quite a city scene you have painted! so rich.
Posted by: susie | 16 June 2006 at 00:40
Ah...this one I read more than once and am still finding new things packed in each time. The flamenco and the scuff marks burst from the screen for me.
Posted by: C. Delia | 15 June 2006 at 23:29
How wonderful that a tile can inspire such great poetry! Your pictures and writings are so vivid and rich. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: January | 15 June 2006 at 21:53
Sevilla is a special place for me, and you and your tile...captured it, perfectly. Thanks for taking me there, I could hear the shoes clicking and smell the orange blossoms!
Posted by: erin | 15 June 2006 at 21:49
You really think about and love your pieces. Your words bring that small bit of tile alive and makes me want to touch it. I sooo get it!
Hugs
Posted by: Tammy | 15 June 2006 at 19:55
I don't always comments...I just wanted to tell you how much I like all your cool photos and facts you share. Thanks. (I saw you commented too on Rebecka's blog. I feel sad that someone is leaving this community and I want to reach out to those who have touched me...I am thinking about a post on it. I am really effected by what happened to her.)
Posted by: melba | 15 June 2006 at 19:04
loved all of it..especially the scuff marks...
Posted by: wendy | 15 June 2006 at 19:03
Love it ... I had similar thoughts whenever I wandered in Topkapi Palace, Istanbul ... you captured so much of it here.
Posted by: Di | 15 June 2006 at 18:38
I want to linger over each line - but alas! Work calls me, too - so I must come back later tonight and savor all this rich and colorful imagery some more...Lovely, Tara, simply lovely!
Posted by: tinker | 15 June 2006 at 17:58
This is sooooo good :-)
What a wonderful piece of poetic fabric intricately embroidered with history and flirtation and all of the things that make life full...even the 'life' of a tile. Thank you so much!
Posted by: Star | 15 June 2006 at 17:11
Sevilla, amo el trozo de tierra que tu eres...
A rich and evocative poem. thank you!
Posted by: Colette | 15 June 2006 at 16:37
Wow, this poem is like a rich story! So vivid with things to "see", you know? Nice job.
Also, I swear I am not just saying this, but I totally smiled when you said you had a tile collection, because I LOVE tiles as art! I would like to paint my own tile, and use them in my home, someday when we have our own house!They are like little sqares of potential.I love what they add to a home. How cool that you have a collection. Will you show some more, please? I would love to see them.
:)
Posted by: amber | 15 June 2006 at 16:32
mmmmmmmmmmmmm! delicious! ohhh! if objects could talk....hapyly we have you!
Posted by: Catalina | 15 June 2006 at 15:37
I'm really loving when PT participants write their own poems. This one is great - I'm going to come back tonight and read it again when I'm not in a hurry to get to work...
Posted by: jennifer | 15 June 2006 at 15:26
I too scrolled down midway bc I wanted to see if you had written this... and yes indeedy you had..
wow ! Is your book going to be a book of poems and photos ? Or a novel ? Or short articles ? or I know... how about 3 books !!!
Posted by: diana | 15 June 2006 at 14:38
"... my face bearing witness to history:
songs of conquerors, adventurers, discoverers and zealots;"
love that phrase-- it summarizes all history of all times so well.
the tile is so interesting, too.
Posted by: ally bean | 15 June 2006 at 14:24
Thank you Susan, for the honour of the beautiful Haiku!
Posted by: Paris Parfait | 15 June 2006 at 14:01
I read about the first 10 lines and said to myself, "wow...i bet she wrote this!" scrolled down and sure enough :-) facinating knowledge adorned by true poetry...it just doesn't get any better now does it?!
which is why i shouldn't do this but i have a rebuttal...yes, a rebuttal :-)
as much as i love the language and the whole structure of the poem, i must disagree with the premise that the beauty "faded by time's passage" ...as follows:
(oh and i stole a line..hope that's okay)
Ode to Tara's Tile
tales of seville
enhance, and cannot plunder
your timeless beauty
Posted by: susan | 15 June 2006 at 13:45
How I love to wake up to a lovely poem! That tile would fit perfectly in my garden! Pack it up and send it over!:)
Posted by: naturegirl | 15 June 2006 at 12:57
'my beautiful image faded by time's passage....' wow.
Posted by: kristen | 15 June 2006 at 12:37
Your poem is of a serious nature I know- but it reminded me of something quirky someone said to me once. It might be a famous quote but the person didn't say that- she said to me- when your face shows the life you've lived you need a good editor.
I thought it was the oddest thing, and you know my fascination with photoshop? All I could think about was photoshopping wrinkles out of peoples faces... OK- sorry, this is an unrelated tangent. It was the line: "My face bearing witness to history" that caused it.
Posted by: krista | 15 June 2006 at 12:36
This is rich and vivid. Fantastic!
Posted by: sheela | 15 June 2006 at 11:09