Work of Art
I hung myself, quite a piece
of work, in the museum
a long time ago. Like
most serious art,
I aged well.
You’d changed so much
the guard had to look twice to
let you in, with that
light frost of dust
light frost of dust
on your smile.
I gazed at you gazing at me
from my frame, then blinked,
reflecting the abundance
I thought I saw
I thought I saw
in your eyes.
Easy as time passing I could
see my desire tapestried,
digitally enhanced, imposed on
what’s plain, from behind
shuttered glass.
The closing bell rang.
To my surprise you
turned away your grey
glazed eyes, and never
came back.
Impossible as time stopping to see
the truth with eyes widest,
when two silvery rippled
accommodating mirrors
hang face to face.
You knew, it seems,
the only way
to foil a mirror
is to turn off
the light.
July 2011
Posted for Friday Poetically at OneStopPoetry
Today Brian's (almost final) prompt is to write a poem inspired by the art of Bonnie, at Original Art Studio. Thanks, Brian, for all the poems you've encouraged me to write with your Friday Poetically series, sadly to end next week.
I like that you chose the same image I did and what also cool is I think we saw a similar theme in the image about reflection. I like that you took it from the paintings perspective. My favorite lines were:
ReplyDelete"Easy as time passing I could
see my desire tapestried,
digitally enhanced, imposed on
what’s plain, from behind
shuttered lids."
thanks for the interesting read.
wow!! that was terrific!!
ReplyDeleteTotally fascinating! I could really relate to being that piece of art hanging on the wall.
ReplyDeleteWowzers, kiddo! This is a stunning piece. I so love "Like most serious art, I aged well." Love it! and "digitally enhanced" - another great concept.......love it - the flowers in your garden are absolutely amazing! You have green thumbs.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the perspective, Joy.
ReplyDeletePamela
Impossible as time stopping to see
ReplyDeletethe truth with eyes widest,
when two silvery rippled
accommodating mirrors
hang face to face
that is the stanza for me that made this...well from there on...set up of course by what was before it but...yeah, i can understand being hung like a picture...smiles.
Get out, Hedge. I thought that the "easy as time passing"/"impossible as time stopping" was remarkable until I read the last stanza. I never saw that coming. It's clever, it's poetic, it's startlingly wise and true and hard to take. Kind of like the connection you're writing about, I'll bet.
ReplyDeletePS--Oh wow! You've got my girl Emmylou on the "Words On The Wind"!
ReplyDeleteI really like this for many reasons. One I wrote a poem nce about two paintings talking and dancing. I loved ur concept and execution. Superb!
ReplyDeleteA clever twist of seeing from the other side. That's how every painting must have felt when faced with us. Brilliant form.
ReplyDeleteThanks all.
ReplyDelete@pamela Thanks. I have lost your new word press blog and can't get there from your blogger profile --if you see this, please leave me the link again and I'll stick you on my blogroll--miss reading you.
@HC Good to see you stop by, man, I think I remember that poem, and remember liking it a lot. This one is a bit more somber. Your picture people as I recall, came to life at night and danced.
@FB: So glad you liked it.I had part of it before today(the ending and a bit of the middle) but the prompt fleshed it out. And yeah, the WOTW got accidentally deleted last week, so I brought it back with a song that is one of my favorite newer Emmy Lou's--before I even saw your post today--it's pretty good as a standalone poem, I think:
"so I ran with the moon and I ran with the night
and the three of us were a terrible sight..."
Very lovely and yes clever to write about it that way ~
ReplyDelete"Like
ReplyDeletemost serious art,
I aged well."
I love that.
this is fantastically creative. love the last stanza - turn off the light - very good
ReplyDeleteO such a journey! To become the framed persona musing on the framer! Enjoyed this interpretation of discordant identities!
ReplyDeleteI liked what you did with this piece.
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent twist at the end of this one. Very introspective and highly imaginative.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kerry. Always value your input.
ReplyDeleteAnnell, same goes for you.
And many thanks to all who've stopped and read and left their thoughts.
Wonderful poem, cratulations! Well deserverd. Loved the last stanza. I like when poems have a turn at the end.
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
I missed this wonderful poem while on vacation...no computer. I just found it by wandering into Poets United from a Magpie Tales post... I love it... "turned away your eyes and never came back" gripped my heart.
ReplyDeleteI adore the power of the last stanza; the words rang in my head like a echo of a leaving phenomena. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteSo great to see your poem picked as poem of the week. It is fantastic, Hedgewitch. I loved every word.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! May there be many awards to come.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna, and everyone from Poet's United. Really appreciate you all coming by to read and comment.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on poem of the week, it surely is deserving. I won't repost my favorite lines, because it would be nearly the whole thing.
ReplyDelete