Lin Lane Poet Free verse

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          Dilly's Undergrowth Art Contest  ~  February 10, 2025

Undergrowth With Two Figures - Van Gogh

By his hand was grown a forest
trees aligned as fence posts
trunks accentuated lavender and blue, 
but not as a spruce
and purple strokes, not disguised as prose
in a woodland cut short in proportion
somewhat a distortion of towering height
over wildflowers it stood,
sans a canopy of leaves
for the profusion of those umbrellas 
would've barred sunlight from the copse.

Botanicals, merely painted as smears
A scene filling my senses 
with thoughts of Spring... except
to mourn for branchless trees
barren to give motherly birth 
and nurture buds as their worth.

Reflections on canvas of golden blossoms,
topaz gems and white faceted diamonds
windswept by Mariah's winds
blowing North and South
then, changing her mind... East and West
temperament is what she does best.

An undergrowth of green but
I don't find it serene
as side by side two plod 
through stems and grasses
feet tangled in masses of vines
Was that a wise decision?
With derision, I wonder...
if the brush strokes had a purpose
a plan for the man to be more relevant,
standing tall, garbed in black, high-top hat
while barely visible, the fem
camouflaged in Van Gogh's jungle.

Whether facing front to back,
one coming or the other going
there's no starry night to be found
That would be profound
even to an eye that's unappreciative of art
when part of the scene 
has no semblance of a sky.

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Duke Beaufort February 14, 2025 at 8:10 AM Hi Lin, It's an interesting scene. Your take gives us an insight into what you're thinking, which is the beauty of art interpretation. I was looking at online reproductions of the painting. Van Gogh's work sometimes seems like he had taken psychedelics although that seems unlikely. I wouldn't know, but the entire arrangement of the forest and the wavy undergrowth seems strange. He had something unusual going on inside his head. He would likely not have made a wonderful companion. Lin Lane February 14, 2025 at 8:41 AM Hi Duke and YAY another courageous poet who saw what I did in this painting. The wavy grasses were caused by what I think was Mariah... the wind. Perhaps having lost a bit of his ear made him unbalanced. Not T-Rump's excuse because he was WAY out of whack before he got a boo boo on his ear. Thanks for reading me.

Tom Cunningham February 11, 2025 at 4:47 AM A brilliant interpretation of the painting Lin, It's evident that you are an artist yourself. Good luck in the contest. Tom Lin Lane February 11, 2025 at 11:37 AM What lovely comments, Tom. I always appreciate the sincerity of your words. Looks like you may be the only one who understood a word of my take on the scene. lol