ARTSPEAK! 2016: Poem #5 "Orchard Barber Shop"

Hello, and welcome to day 5 of my National Poetry Month poem-a-day-project ARTSPEAK! in which I respond to images found in the online collections at the National Gallery of Art. Please join me, if you feel so inspired! Also, please visit Penny at a penny and her jots to see how our Progressive poem is progressing!

Okay, back to ARTSPEAK! This year's theme is "Plant. Grow Eat." It was inspired by the release of my latest book FRESH DELICIOUS: Poems from the Farmers' Market. Here are the poems so far:


"Gardener's Companion" after The Watering Can by Georges Seurat

"Man, Reading" after Denoisel Reading in the Garden by James Tissot

"At the Vegetable Market" after Vegetable Market at Pontoise by Camille Pissarro

"Triolet for Planting Day" after The Artist's Garden at Eragny by Camille Pissarro

Today's piece is an etching, and since I am busybusy today preparing for my trip (this afternoon!) to Hattiesburg, MS for the amazing Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival (this year featuring Joyce Sidman! Jacqueline Woodson! Melissa Sweet! And so many others!!), this piece about garden work snagged my attention. 

There are so many chores associated with gardening -- and with being a human (haircuts, washing clothes, grocery shopping) -- and maybe they aren't all that glamorous, but they are kind of necessary. Just like everything I've got to accomplish before I hit the highway!

Orchard Barber Shop

- after  "Gardener Pruning a Tree" by  Jacques Callot

Gardener turns barber

when trees needs a trim –

snip, clip, slashhhhh!

And then –

a bower full of flowers

bears fashionable fruit,

each shiny face

boasting a slick, fresh style

that's just-right around the ears –

All because the gardener

picked up a pair of shears.

- Irene Latham

I look forward to revising this one. :) Listen to me read the poem on Soundcloud.