|Poem| An Island Thrown

 

An Island Thrown

-- To Matisse's painting, "Young Woman on a White and Red Background" (1946)

 

Green broadleaf plant, leaves, leaves are flying

A woman is lying down, lying down quietly

Gray wings, wings spread

Hidden legs, legs smiling in white

Fins without a single finger, pectoral fins

An island floating somewhere, floating, a large red island

 

Note on the Muse:

Our legs are simply legs, but our arms are wings. Wings that can fold and unfold. That's why the women painted by Matisse have fingers that are sometimes vague or nonexistent. This woman has no fingers at all. Hey, fish have wings too. Funny, isn’t it?

 

© Ryang Suh, MD 2023.05.26