Ghosts of Icarus
dance in the galleries of SoHo.
On the subway walls
and on the canvas of white,
there are those
who know the mystery,
the obvious secret.
The curators of
great twentieth-century art
look upon his work
as inscriptions from another time
that has not yet arrived.
The two story building on Great Jones.
The hub of the
Neo-Expressionist Movement,
the one man show,
with massive teeth of aggression.
The tides of desire,
in rocks of snow,
and heavenly bodies,
that stroke your passion,
and take your mind,
only to return it
forever changed.
He aimed his flight
in the opposite direction.
Towards the unexplored heights
of ecstasy.
He dipped his brush
in his tears and blood
and splashed them on
the red carpets and penny exhibits
in the streets of Brooklyn.
The gardener of the underground,
the big apples rainbow,
with an eye
on every womans exit.
The child of color
and brilliance
who faded to black.
So cold
in the heat now.
So dark in the sun
without his light.
Author notes
Jean Michel Basquiat -Hispanic African American artist.
Achieved international recognition as a painter and writer.
His short tragic life produced some of the greatest works of
art..collaborating with Warhol in 1985 which produced some 60 works of paintings.
His love of women and coke did him in.
Art came secondary to women for Basquiat.
He would say....
"Art comes from women.
There would be no passion
for art
if women did not exist.
They are the propulsion behind it"
A contest entry
- Biography Contest by Olivias Violin.
440 points, ended September 19, 2008, 13 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - ANYTHING YOU WANT....ALMOST by enlightenedatheist.
950 points, ended June 21, 18 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 38 of 38
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Wow this poem is great! I was captivated from beginning to end. You are a truly awesome poet.
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Liam
Another work of pure poetry...stunning. I always look foreword to reading you. Thanks for being my best poet.
-c
I'll save a place for you at the pub and your drink will be waiting. -
The eighth and ninth stanzas were absolutely brilliant. I think I will look up this great artiste and see what beauty inspired you so.
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You have a true and deep appreciation for art - I love that sort of thing. As I read the poem it was as if YOU were painting a picture and even without reading the authors notes I knew it was about an artist who'd died. It was truly beautiful and metaphoric and written with passion.
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Love it
I love this. Great start with the reference to Icarus . . . I am not sure everyone here would get it but nevertheless . . . love that . . . it illustrates the artists heroic audacity and aspirations . . . plus if he died early like you say, it sort of foreshadows that.
It flows great . . . there are parts I don't fully understand . . . but that is probably because I don't know the artist ( I wish I was better versed in Neo-Expressionists ) and because I am not familiar with NY.
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Very creative and well deservung of Gold
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indeed I do like this better than the first one you out in...wonderful job!
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wow, you were right. i love this. so much.
thanks for contacting me, i'm really glad you did.
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icarus sounds really cool. so does curator, but i actually know what that means, inscriptions too
i like your word fraizing... subway walls. obvious secret, massive teeth of aggression, penny exhibits, child of colo
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I love the mention of Icarus in this. It almost made me think that the character would be doomed to failure. Excellent write and good luck in my contest.
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Great
Nice tribute, very well writ, enjoyed it much.
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This is simply, amazingly, beautiful. I thought I had chosen out a few lines, that I couldnt live without, but then, I read on. there is no one single piece that I could live without in this piece. A wonderful write. I also enjoyed your AN Notes about Jean Michel Basquiat, very informative, and I will be looking him up when I get home from work in the morning. Fantastic write!
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He dipped his brush
in his tears and blood
and splashed them on
the red carpets and penny exhibits
in the streets of Brooklyn.
The gardener of the underground,
the big apples rainbow,
with an eye
on every womans exit.
The child of color
and brilliance
who faded to black.
favorite lines, a very thought-provoking poem. You definetly deserved that silver and still deserve a gold! Great Write -
Wow,
I haven't read a good piece in a whie. But this really caught my attention,
this was my favorite part!
Art came secondary to women for Basquiat.
He would say....
"Art comes from women.
There would be no passion
for art
if women did not exist.
They are the propulsion behind it"
-
Worthy of the gold!...Now I must look up this artist.How meant I was to read this poem as a RSVP...Enjoyed the flow, energy, imagery and passion as you penned this tribute to this great painter..I appreciate your love of art and poetry, friend... This is heartfilled write! Bookmarking for its' uniqueness on the passion for creativity, which I love as well, dear friend...
penning...
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I really like this one too! It's a hard trade off, isn't it, but I suppose I can understand it, and weep for it at the same time, if that makes sense.
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Phenomenal
God I love your writing so much. Please for the love of god neevr stop writing. -
You sucked me in with your "Paint it Black" Stones reference... but I am glad I stopped. This poem is...wow. Great use of the language and a fine tribute to one of the finest artists to come from the past century. Bravo. Standing - O.
Write on, poet.
Blessings,
Myth
-
WoW
Loved this, loved the sentiments behind it especially 'Art comes from women...' think that's really tender. Great write, thanks for sharing and giving me something to really think about. I could intensely visualise your subject,sad story but well worth sharing.
Cheers.
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Lovely
You're right and there would be no passion without them.
Thanks for reading "Roses" and I still don't have a vase, would a jelly glass do? -c
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wow...so many great lines in this poem...GREAT imagery...i just adored this piece
~
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This is just great.Thanks for the author notes .I could understand it better.In fact your poem is really well written. It's a masterpiece. Bravo!!!!
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Congratulations on the Silver Trophy. The last...4 lines are my favorite. It grabbed my attention at the beginning, but the ending felt like..like a solo of a symphony..(im musical, so I read and relate things back to music) and i loved this.
ing alone,
Mylee -
That's a great piece of work. I'm somewhat familiar with artist an obvious rebel in his time. Good read - happy trails
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I know nothing about art lowel,but I do know that you painted for me a beautiful picture with your clever words, you are indeed an artist of words lowel, and if your poem were a painting I would hang it on my wall thankyou littlefishone
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Excellent!
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Very Interesting..
Twisted story in it's own right; but I love the poetic scheme you've put it to! Very well done! I must say, the first stanza caught my interest the most, but abstract or expressionist, it carries well all the way through. (Then again, I was an Art History student, too.)
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Excellent....
how rich the legacy of these great individuals splashed in thier own blood on the canvasses caressed in every hue and tone, wherever they are and wherever thier stories are written, thank god for every beautiful soulgift sacrificed for us to continue to walk the road to a hopeful Truth...well done my friend this is a portrait in itself...echoes of "starry,starry night"...
keep the faith brother, there's a long way still to go
John
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Masterfully done!
This piece speaks to me on many different levels Lowell. Where was the sweat? There was blood and tears! Ah yes, not much sweat in Brooklyn I'm afraid!:} Tantalizingly thoughtful in that the layers of emotional turmoil unfold so nicely! Bravo!!!!Quite impressive write here! It is always a pleasure to delve into the mind of the masterful! Kudos! Standing ovation from me!
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Well done. I liked it alot.
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The first few lines of this caught my eye before the rest - and I'm glad they did because the poem got progressively more interesting with every line.
He dipped his brush
in his tears and blood
and splashed them on
the red carpets and penny exhibits
in the streets of Brooklyn.
^That was my favorite stanza. You have a real talent for writing here, and I'm glad I stumbled upon your page.
All the best~
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This is interesting. A little different from some of the stuff you usually write. And I think a lot of people are fascinated with tortured artists that died kind of young. I guess it helps us to see their work in a different way. Or maybe we're all just afraid of death and hoping to find answers in it? I don't know. But I liked this.
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The first line really caught me. This is a very beautiful piece of work you have here. This poem itself could lend the colour and imagery for a great piece of art...might need to dust off my oil paints, haha.
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Hell Yeah!
"He dipped his brush
in his tears and blood
and splashed them on
the red carpets and penny exhibits
in the streets of Brooklyn."
That was well said, and nicely put.
VERY nice first line as well, it captured me from the getgo. I am impressed Lowell, with the entire poem. These poems about other people, famous people, famous civilizations is a very cool idea...Not something I'd care to try, because I don't think I'd be able to pull it off anywhere close to how well you do. You do them justice that you and very few others could...Congrats on that.
Lotus-Mama picked up on something that I was thinking about also, and I feel that I need to comment on it also...She said..
"and blood splashing on red is less dramtatic- but is it? The blood that could just be overlooked.... Outstanding..."
I COMPLETELY agree...Very nice subtly there...
So, what's next?
Blessings always brother,
Brandon
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Wow!
Wow...I am speechless. I cannot help but to keep reading it, again and again...
"The tides of desire,
in rocks of snow,
and heavenly bodies,
that stroke your passion,
and take your mind,
only to return it
forever changed."
Tides of desire.....rocks of snow.... absolutely amazing!!!
"He dipped his brush
in his tears and blood
and splashed them on
the red carpets and penny exhibits
in the streets of Brooklyn."
This imagery.....stunning...you might picture blood splashing on white...but when you say red carpets it shows us so much more...and blood splashing on red is less dramtatic- but is it? The blood that could just be overlooked.... Outstanding...
"the big apples rainbow"
love it!!!
"The child of color
and brilliance
who faded to black."
So powerful...so sad and empty...
An absolutely MOVING write, with a perfect exit of an ending! Standing Ovation!!!
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my sweet brother
once again you have found your magical pen and the words flow softly across your canvas...to be an artist and to be black yet within his heart he felt his own freedom and lived his life as such...niaish for sharing with me i have really enjoyed
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Hah, the quote from this Artist is very interesting and very pondering!
Beautiful write, yet again! Majestic flow of gracefullness and thinking words make this piece outstanding! Great job, Master!
Love from your ever learning student! *><*
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