I've been NEST-building this week... doing my best to get the word out about my forthcoming THIS POEM IS A NEST. I'm delighted by readers' enthusiasm so far... and so, so grateful. Thank you!
Today for ArtSpeak: RED I'm returning to one of my favorite Impressionist women painters, Berthe Morisot. I found a bit of myself in this bright, curious face (even though I seldom wear red), and even though at any gathering I am far more the "there you are!" kind of person than the "here I am" girl represented in the poem. Thanks so much for reading.
The Opposite of Invisible
cardinal wings
dusting
morning
snow
wet berries
glistening
in a milk-glass
bowl
girl
radiant
in a red blouse –
Hello, world!
I am
here!
- Irene Latham
Oh, she is there, isn't she? So young and pretty and ready for the next thing. Maybe the birds will come chat with her or, she'll attract the attention of a soon to be sweetheart. This poem makes me wonder about what's next.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading and reviewing 'Nest' for next week. You must be excited for this book to make its way into the word. Many congratulations.
I've always found red-and-white - particularly in the context of winter - to be striking. Thanks for sharing, Irene!
ReplyDeleteI love the ending! Your new book sounds absolutely wonderful. I can't wait to read it from first word to last.
ReplyDeleteYour poem and Morisot's picture really reminds me of life in Switzerland - the land of the red and white flag - it really is a plus + (see what I did there? ;)
ReplyDeleteShe is lovely. It seems like the whole garden is drawn toward her. The cardinal wings in your poem caught my eye.
ReplyDeleteLovely painting, lovely poem, lovely red!
ReplyDeleteIt's a remarkable painting and your poem shows lovely imagination. Yes, she is there, waiting for her life? I love this, Irene!
ReplyDeleteLove this little girl and her straight-up confidence, "I am here." My students wrote after your Polkadot poem. Here's a link to Daniel's Truth about Cats:https://kidblog.org/class/gt-allstars/posts/4xw61wcl1aty9e0xgmr3n9dz1
ReplyDeleteI will send others by email.
Oh that sleepy kitten! Please tell Daniel how much I enjoyed his poem... as a lifelong cat-person, I loved the disclaimer, too. :)
DeleteWonderful images you invoked... those wet berries glistening in the milk glass bowl and the cardinal against the snow set up our radiant "here I am" girl in red to take center stage. Love the painting!
ReplyDeleteLove. Such images. I want to be that girl.
ReplyDeleteGood for her! And I am SO looking forward to THIS POEM IS A NEST!
ReplyDeleteRed - the color of being alive. Impossible to be invisible in red. Some of my favorite images are in your poem - the cardinal, the snow - my grandmother loved these things, her favorite color was red, and her name, in fact, was Ruby. How writing and symbolism spiral so, and color our existence and our memory. We do live our poems.
ReplyDelete-Fran Haley https://litbitsandpieces.com/
Irene, I love the images you evoked in your poem. I am wondering if I could get an arc of your new book to post a review. From what i read, it is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteLovely Irene, you can taste the creamy-wetness on your lips while reading your poem. And Berthe Morisot is a favorite of mine too, thanks for sharing this image which I haven't seen, xo!
ReplyDelete