Wednesday, April 24, 2019

ARTSPEAK: Happy! poem "Only in Summer" by Irene Latham

Welcome to ARTSPEAK: Happy! my 2019 National Poetry Month poem a day project, in which I am responding to pieces of art that make me 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
Girl in Hat after "Girl in Hat" by Norman Lewis
Backstage after "Dancers in Green and Yellow" by Edgar Degas. 
"So Many Suns" after Kohbar of Mithila
"To an Olive Tree" after Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun by Vincent van Gogh
"Three Black Cats" after Three Black Cats by Maud Lewis
"When Grandma Reads" after Mrs. Cassatt Reading to her Grandchildren by Mary Cassatt
"On a June Afternoon" after Pigeon on a Peach Branch by Emperor Huizong
"On the Water" after On the Water by Mary Cassatt
"Autumn Prayer" after Red Vineyard at Arles by Vincent van Gogh
"Julie Manet with Cat" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
"When a Horse Writes a Poem" after Horse Head on a Yellow Background 1953 by Fernand Leger.
"Fiddle Song" after The Fiddler by Marc Chagall
"A Dream of Yellow" after Tree Against a Yellow Background by Odilon Redon
"The Letter" after The Letter by Mary Cassatt
"To a Sunflower" after Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh

Today's piece is "The Yellow Boat" by Gustave Caillebotte. What is happier than a yellow boat?!




Only in Summer

after “The Yellow Boat" by Gustave Caillebotte

Take one yellow boat
ready to drift    sail    float

add a sea of sweet deep water –

find a sailor
ready to don his hat

and finally (finally!)
leave the harbor

to breathe     savor     discover
the briny flavor of adventure.

Ahoy!
- Irene Latham



Be sure to visit Tabatha at The Opposite Of Indifference for the latest line in our Progressive Poem!

3 comments:

  1. Love this pairing; the "sweet deep water" is especially lovely. You're featuring such wonderful art this month, such a treat!!

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  2. I try to guess what the picture might be each day as I read the title of your post. Only in Summer did not lead me to the yellow boat, but what a delight to see this beautiful painting. I love the repetition of three words - the boat ready to "drift sail float" and our sailor !ready to breathe savor discover."

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  3. Although not the sea, now you, too, can "leave the harbor". It's a dreamy poem with that dreamy painting.

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