Saturday, September 26, 2009

PORTRAIT by Matisse: Homage (Poem)

This is another poem from my 1978 manuscript, until now unpublished:

PORTRAIT by Matisse
     Homage

Yours is a music
of morning sunlight:
    a shaft of wheat,
but also the mood of a pale moon,
the blue of the town madam
    on Christmas eve.

You, poet of crayon
and cutout and glue,
   dance me through October dew.

    It is champagne-colored,
    lighter than swallows in flight,
    a thought at rest.

    I slip onto your easel
dressed in the scarlets
of mad words and open sores.

Even when you set me
against a background
    not exactly white,

    men smile at me.

The laughter in your hands
is contagious after all.


Copyright 1978-2009 Maureen E. Doallas
All Rights Reserved.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh, it is getting late, and family is calling out with their noises that say is getting close to bed time. i just wanted to stop by for a quick hello, and to see your blog. i will try and return for another visit in the near future.

Glynn said...

In 1978, you got him exactly right. Like this.