Shiphorn

Proposal for a dream project at Maurice Ferre/Museum Park
by Gustavo Matamoros

planted
by the water’s edge
on the Biscayne Bay cul de sac
where cruise ships come
to turn around before departing

Shiphorn
is a responsive sound machine
dueling
inside the metal shell
of a cruise ship’s horn

it utters short farewells
in Morse code
in response to
the horn greetings
of departing ships

imagine once a week
the entire bay sound
filled with colored bursts
of deep
elegant horn calls
in festive conversation

copyright 2019, Gustavo Matamoros. Subtropics Editions