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Vincent

Always, it was hard, the skin
Scarred, the paint mixed with blood
I stood, stooped in the patch
To snatch a look at her face:

Always, the same place, she cut
Swathes of green and bound
Twisted strings around
Like open wounds in my palm:

A psalm repeated in my brain
The pain, the need to create
The harsh seed, all as I piled
And stacked sheaves of paint on the hard
Starred, sacred board:

Always scored, a symphony in paint
I am faint, and the face comes through
It is all I can do to stand
And take the ragged brush in hand.

Always the blood, the dry skin in hacks
The sacks borne

On crooked backs:

Always the corn in stacks

And the patch of green grass
Coming through:

The bent, bowed birds

Above in the blue.

A contest entry

Please tell me what you think

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Comments

1 - 8 of 8

  • NeonRose
    August 12, 2008
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    A beautifully haunting write! Congratulations on the Gold!


  • no win no fee
    August 1, 2008
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    This is lovely so vibrant and so cleverly written. x

  • Bad Bill
    August 1, 2008

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    The sheer energy and flow of this cascade of words and images is remarkable--a joy to read.

    Bill


  • Barry Hodges silver member
    July 31, 2008

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    Vinny would be amazed to find out how much his painting sell for nowadays. He would never believe his ear when people told him.

  • ea silver member
    July 31, 2008

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    This is quite arresting as a portrait of the painter at work. I love all the internal rhymes and the way you play with the language here. What the artist needs, materially, coming through here as well as what he needs, spiritually, and the role of the woman in this. Blood from cows or what I wonder, to mix with pigments, gessoed boards - it's all here. Good one.

  • Judith Chandler
    July 31, 2008

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    Interesting, the use of similar sounding words throughout, starting with "scarred". That held me as well as the suggestion that Vincent might have been a stalker. Don't know if you intended to imply that and I'm sorry if I'm getting into pseudo psychology if the stalking think wasn't part of your plan. Or his plan.

    I like this write.

1 - 8 of 8