light
swirls into darkness
swirls into light
cadmium stars expand
into the lapis firmament
over ultramarine hills
and a sleepy village
I watch
the muddy green flames
of cypress trees
reach for the moon
as if to brulee
that panakin of cream
as I devour the scene
I am the one
consumed
Author notes
"The Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh (1889) has always been a captivating image for me. The song "Vincent" by Don McLean reinforced that love for this painting.
http://www.poster.net/van-gogh-vincent/van-gogh-vincent-starry-night-7900683.jpg
[Lest the above confuse anyone, this was written from the painting.]
In a list
A contest entry
- Inspired by Other Arts by Auburn Sunrise.
1000 points, ended July 15, 2007, 7 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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I've actually been removed from a museum for touching this painting. I stood in front of it for 20 minutes, staring at it. A security gaurd was beside it and stepped away and I knew what would happen but I had to touch the painting that Vincent Van Gogh touched, with his brush with his paint, with his hand, thoughts, passion. His mind; what was going through it. I've seen "The Cypress" That he painted during his stay at the institution and looked out at from his window. He is one of my muses and this poem was like love to my literary mind. It was just as textured and layered as that brief moment that I touched the oils that Van Gogh had layed upon that canves with paint so uniquely chosen that only could they be applicable when touched with the other colors and swirled together to swim along and dream together that nightly portrait that he saw the world as. Beautiful...I'm struck.
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Actually touched it? Wow...that must have been amazing. It blows me away that his talent went so unregaled in his lifetime. I saw a program about him and his work. I sat there and had to wonder if his brother was actually squirrelling away his paintings and not trying to sell them or maybe just pricing them so outrageously that there was no hope in finding a buyer. A lot of his contemporaries were painting in similar styles and making money. Makes one wonder... Thanks for stopping by!
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this poem is almost magical, the opening lines invoke the spirit of it. ok, im being fanciful, but a good poem should do that right? its very lovely, dreamlike. much like the painting. you did a wonderful job capturing the feeling of it.
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What is so so beautiful. I love the use of specific colors. I loved those last two lines especially. It completely captivates how I feel about nature in general. Beautiful!!!
Write on!
~*~SP~*~
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God, I love it. I'm adding this to the list for publication.
Elizabeth -
Brilliant
'light
swirls into darkness
swirls into light'-I simply loved these opening lines -they have something magical about them-maybe the way every word is repeated here other than darkness placing them differently-your choice of words in this poem is par excellance-the picture painted here is as enchanting as the Van Gogh's
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...sunny day melting sky
nice piece of work here zt. i too have a fascination (albeit a twisted one) with Van Gogh - so prolific; so full of mayhem; so brilliant at his strange methodology. your poem is an awesome reflection. ~ Ed
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And suddenly there were stars, everywhere stars...
You are such a passionate poet...but this passion is earthy, and gentle, yet so...immediate, recreating the most primeval of human emotions.
Reading this poem, I have no need of Van Gogh’s beautiful painting, even though I love it. Your words evoke the colours, the texture, the exquisite brush-strokes, the images of the heavens unfastened, hearts beating, shadows perforated and spiraling into night, the universe wheeling with stars, hearts set free in the night sky..
Your style (with this particular poem) reminds me so much of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood. So evocative, so silky and sensual, your words with their wealth of descriptive detail, seem so natural that you barely notice them on a first reading. I especially like the way you have set the moon on fire. And the final stanza just blows me away. I can see the glitter of gold here, mark my words!
LM,M
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AHHHH!
Finally! LOL. I love this painting also - it has always been one of my favorites. You did an amazing job of describing his beautiful masterpiece of art. I love your descriptions of the "flames" of cypress trees, the colors of the sky, etc. This was what I was looking for! Perfect!!!
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it is a pretty painting. i saw the original in MoMa. I think it's the original? It was very pretty....
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