Tuesday, April 9, 2019

ARTSPEAK: Happy! poem "Girl in Hat" by Irene Latham

I'm excited to be continuing my ARTSPEAK series -- this year with poems on the theme of "Happy." Read why in my introductory post.

Poems so far:

Girl in a Yellow Dress after "A Girl in a Yellow Dress, 1917" by Amedeo Modigliani
When the Stars Come to Town after "Cafe Terrace at Night" by Vincent van Gogh
On a Golden Day in May after "Checkered House" by Grandma Moses
Beach Time after "Children Playing on the Beach" by Mary Cassatt
The Weight of Happiness after "Flower Seller" by Diego Rivera
By the Sea "Coastal Scene with Gulls" by Maud Lewis
Sister Song after an untitled piece by Henry Darger
Two Cows after "2 Cows" by Maud Lewis

Today's piece is "Girl with a Yellow Hat" by Norman Lewis.


Girl in Hat

You may think I'm hiding behind my hat,
but there's a reason I sit like that.
I like the way the world shrinks,
becomes a just-me space
where you can't see the feelings
as they pass across my face.
So if you see me (hatted) in a crowd,
remember: beneath the brim
I am the sun – still shining! –
and my hat is simply a passing cloud.

- Irene Latham




Be sure to visit Rebecca Herzog for the latest line in our 2019 Progressive Poem!

4 comments:

  1. This is such a Haitian-looking painting, so I love it for that. Great poem, too!

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  2. Love the sunny voice, Irene, and the nice surprise at the end.

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  3. Wonderful! The passing cloud metaphor is so clever. Love!

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