Before she turned on the light, the splatter on the studio’s
rain-clattered skylight gave the room the appearance of
an aquarium.Jane’s quotations from art history were pinned everywhere,
wallpaper clipped from the pages of art magazines and
old postcards from Paris. Vermeer’s maid gazed
on Dora Maar. Picasso ogles a Lautrec dancing
to catch a sidelong glance from Paul Gauguin.
They made the small studioseem both crowded and vast.
Spanish Guitar music drifted down the courtyard.
Sitting is a lot like meditating. I felt the chair, let my eyes become
a stereo blur, and breathed.
A million images of famous portraits rambled through my head
while sitting there for my portrait.
Two hours later. Like a barber finished with her haircut she called
me to the other side of the easel to inspect her work.
Jane looked at me. I was looking at the portrait.
I was tearing up.
Seeing that likeness in the drying brushstrokes that rainy afternoon
in Columbia was as close as I ever came
to seeing myself through someone else’s eyes*.
_______________
* Jane commented on my portfolio of poems:
Bob!
Love all of these! The vivid pictures YOU paint!
The surprise witty endings!
Inspirational Insightful Magical
And of course that poem on p.4 made me tear up.
Thank you Bob
Jane
Click here to visit Jane Mudd’s website.
This is the fourth of seven poems from my portfolio for the 2020 Poetry Workshop I participated in, under the direction of instructor Eli Burrell.
| Copyright © 2021 by Bob Boldt |
Magnificent!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Michael. And I appreciated finally getting the back story on the profile image Bob sent me years ago.
ReplyDeleteI too wondered where that excellent portrait came from! I have yet to find anything about you, Bob, that is not unique and interesting in its own right. Including your great poetry.
ReplyDelete