“The Fortune” triptych explores humanity’s fraught relationship with mother nature through the lens of whaling—a brutal tradition that serves as a metaphor for mankind’s attempts to dominate the natural world. The poetry examines the legacy of exploitation, the yearning for connection, and the spiritual resonance found in nature’s mysteries. From the harpooner’s relentless pursuit of power to the whaler’s longing for home, from the haunting song of the whales to the quiet wisdom of patience, The Fortune invites viewers to confront the consequences of their actions and rediscover their place within a greater, harmonious design.
"We’re all riding storms,
They ebb and flow and fall.
Water’s the womb,
From where we all came
And return at the end of the day.
In between, it’s all a fight—
Until the coast, until the night.
Pages of wisdom drown in courage most of all,
Floating as dreams unto dusk,
Returning to the water where we floated first.
The men are the engine,
Burning through the sea,
Burning through the past,
Burning through songs the whales sang last.
Something ancient pulls us where we are,
Floating on machines of our making.
What the generations said was for the taking
Becomes the hum of a hymn in the waves,
A song that carries us forward
And leaves our bodies drifting in its wake.
Our minds leave this dream
For another time, another place,
A supper of the spirit,
A summer’s day.
We navigate the maritime,
The white birds on the waves.
The furthest star in the sky
Is but falling light on a strangest shore,
A reflection cast by a song from before.
And I, for one, will not comply,
For by the time I reach, or it sees me,
This fleeting life will pass us by,
And the lights will fade completely.
The dimming stars pierce the sky,
Like pinpricks in a darkened tapestry,
A veil stretched between the heavens and us,
Threaded with light that sings, not speaks.
And behind that veil, an eternal shine,
Forever distant, forever divine—
A song that binds the sea and sky,
We are but one piece in its endless design."
~ Laurence Fuller, 2024
"The Fortune" series exhibits during Miami Art Week, December 2024 at Scope Art Show with Superchief Gallery, and with M2 Miami Nolcha Shows immersive exhibition.
Cinematic Poetry by Laurence Fuller
Textures of paint AI modelled on paintings by Stephanie Fuller
www.laurencefuller.art
