I was lucky enough to have a day to myself without any commitments on Monday, so I took myself off to London to indulge myself for the day. I wanted to do some poetry and what better place to go for inspiration than the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. I chose a few paintings and, for each one, put together one or two haikus. You can see the video version of this below.
First up…
Perseus turning Phineas and his followers to stone, by Luca Giordano (1680s)
The Ancient Greek way of dealing with wedding crashers!
The bridegroom’s judgement
Stays bold spears in stony hands
Time is stilled for them
Visage held aloft
Serpent locks, a stare of death
Statues of remorse
Marriage a-la-Mode: 2. The Tete a Tete, by William Hogarth (1743)
I’d never seen this sequence of four pictures before, which tell the story of an arranged marriage and its downfall. This was the second, which instantly drew my attention.
All in disarray
Loveless couple unconcerned
Save for selfish ends
An Experiment on a bird in the Air Pump, by Joseph Wright ‘of Derby’ (1768)
I love the lighting in this one, and the morbid tone.
Within the glass jar
The bird’s life is sucked away
For all to observe
Some fascinated
Some eyes flee the agonised
Spectacle of death
The Fighting Temeraire, by JMW Turner (1839)
My favourite painting, ever.
Last rays of sunlight
Illuminate graceful masts
Last touch of glory
Acrid smoke billows
Unrelenting March of time
Pulls her to her end
Avenue at Chantilly, by Paul Cezanne (1888)
I was captivated by this one, which I’d never seen before.
How many lovers
Walk the shaded avenue
With fresh scent of leaves
Stop to share it kiss
Meander freed of all cares
Nought but each other
Woman with a Cat, by Edouard Manet (1880-2)
She has the look of a cat owner…
Damned pet insurance
And the cost of food so high
Worming tablets too
Hope you enjoyed those. Here’s the video version
Cheers for reading,
Richard
You can check out more of my poetry by clicking the links below.
Reversals of Fortune – two poems
Light Gathers Around a Low Place – a poem
And, if you want to see more of my Twin Peaks poetry, you can click the links below.
No Daughter’s Embrace – a haiku sequence
The Pulaski Girl – a haiku sequence
Lady of the Blue Rose – a poem
Just a Photograph – a haiku sequence
Mike’s Story – a haiku sequence
Are you still seeing this…? Some limericks
Palindrome for Dark Woods – a poem
The Battle of the Bob Bubble – a poem
Cinquains for Lucy, Audrey, Candie and others
The Ardenna Crossing 
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