|Poem| Perspective of Palm Trees

 

Perspective of Palm Trees

-- To "Woman Playing the Violin by the Window" by Henri Matisse (1921)

 

A river of floral hues flows The flowers are red

A song sung by the river is with no beat No beat

A woman holds a bow in her hand Violin bow

A coconut is being divided in half loudly agape

Cell division takes place sparked by the indigo sky

Outside of the clean-cut window contoured in deep yellow

Look there A sailboat takes off afloat between the palm trees

 

Note on Muse:

Sound emanates from the painting. When a musical instrument is seen, sound arises abruptly. By and large it is sound with no beat. In this painting by Matisse, I explicitly hears the violin being played. With palm trees as a backdrop, the violin resounds loudly, fortissimo, very loudly.

 

© Ryang Suh, MD 2023.05.12