John Watt Poet Ekphrasis

Notes About The Poem

Que Seurat, Seurat

Like a Seurat painting
I view my life up close
and see a million tiny colored dots:
       eating breakfast
       driving to work
       writing a poem
       watching television
       playing a game
       singing a song
       going to the park on a Sunday afternoon

You view these dots 
from the proper distance,
blend them together 
with kind, generous eyes
and you see art


(an ekphrasis poem after the pointillism painting "A Sunday Afternoon 
on the Island of La Grande Jatte", by Georges Seurat, 1886)

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Sonia Walker May 1, 2020 at 6:06 PM John, congratulations on your placement and writing such a clever poem. I can picture Doris Day reciting your poem. ~ Sonia John Watt May 1, 2020 at 6:18 PM Ha, you're right! She did a great job singing those words! What a talent she was. Loved her in Singing In The Rain! Thanks for the lovely visit, Sonia!

Sam Kauffman May 1, 2020 at 2:43 PM This is one of my favorite Seurat paintings. There is a musical based on it. I love the way you use pointillism as a metaphor for the every day routines of life, your title is a wonderful play on words and your conclusion is right on! Life is an art! Congratulations dear friend. Well played! John Watt May 1, 2020 at 4:20 PM P.S. Social distancing, yes, but where are the face masks? Tsk, tsk. John Watt May 1, 2020 at 4:19 PM Sam, I'm so glad you know and enjoy this painting. I've never been to Chicago, but two reasons I'd like to visit there are: Wrigley Field and the Art Institute (my fave Renoir is there as well... bonus!) I love how they used this in Ferris Bueller's Day Off! Thank you for picking up on the metaphor. I do love pointillism, but am more a fan of Signac and Pissarro. Have a great day, my friend! ~ John Sam Kauffman May 1, 2020 at 2:44 PM PS - looks like they knew about social distancing!

Andrea Dietrich May 1, 2020 at 12:41 PM wow, this is amazing. GREAT thinking. I am glad you won with this one. FAVE John Watt May 1, 2020 at 1:27 PM Oh, wow, thank you for the FAVE, Andrea! That made my day! I've been thinking about submitting this one for a while now, but I wanted to wait until I had the ability to post the picture that goes with it. So appreciative of you; your poetry and your friendly, positive comments.

Michelle Faulkner May 1, 2020 at 1:12 AM I know the type of picture you mean - and yes, when you absorb the whole, instead of tiny fragments, you find art - a lovely metaphor for life as well! John Watt May 1, 2020 at 1:25 PM Michelle, always nice to see your wonderful comments grace these pages. It's an interesting art form, one I greatly enjoy, though it didn't last very long due to how long it took the artists to do it well. Seurat, Pissarro, Signac, Cross; I love all of them, but it was Seurat they all credited with inventing the style. Pretty amazing, if you think about it, to have INVENTED an art style!