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paprika

Smoldering Fires, Clarence Holbrook Carter, 1904-2000 Columbus Museum of Art
courtesy of Tess Kincaid for Magpie Tales

late afternoon 
in the heat rusted
old testament backyard
of the unwanted
a fallen madonna
clings to her god, her son
she says he watches
the trains in amazement
he is blind
but she solemnly swears 
he counts every red car
as they pass by
he has his father's eyes
she crows, matter-of-factly
as he nods off, the hills belch
perpetual burnt offerings
scorching the sky paprika


Rene ~ May 2011


Comments

  1. brenda wMay 2, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    This is gorgeous. You've added lush image and a story with soul to the painting.

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  2. MaggieMay 2, 2011 at 10:17 PM

    Wow, wow, wow. Amazing.

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  3. MarianMay 2, 2011 at 10:35 PM

    "the hills scorch the sky paprika"? holy i can see touch smell taste that. whoosh.

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  4. Brian MillerMay 2, 2011 at 11:33 PM

    wow. excellent descriptors rene...he is blind and has the eyes of his father...says much....

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  5. ReflectionsMay 2, 2011 at 11:42 PM

    Wow, you have graced us with some absolutely stunning imagery, beautiful in its form... the hills scorch the sky paprika... wow.

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  6. MartinMay 3, 2011 at 3:48 AM

    "...the sky paprika with
    perpetual burnt offerings." Stunning imagery.

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  7. Irish GumboMay 3, 2011 at 6:35 AM

    I lay my head at your feet, madam, and ask for more. Please, more.

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  8. Tess KincaidMay 3, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    I. Love. This. "Old Testament backyard" is brilliant.

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  9. HelenMay 3, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    Rene,
    This is stunning!!!!

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  10. cosmos camiMay 3, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    I loved the depth and beauty here. I loved the Old Testament backyard, but it was hard to narrow it down because your words equally shine.

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  11. Coloring Outside the LinesMay 3, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    Brilliant Rene, just brilliant!

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  12. Jenne' R. Andrews May 3, 2011 at 3:03 PM

    This is terrific, Rene. One of the best takes on the prompt-- a delicate touch, unusual imagery-- xxxj

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  13. UnknownMay 3, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    amazing.. I love the imagery in here. very rich

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  14. Diana LeeMay 3, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    Every line is lush and gorgeous. Wonderful.

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  15. ClaudiaMay 3, 2011 at 6:20 PM

    sometimes the blind see more than we do..great details like the red cars he counts...having/seeing with his fathers eyes..beautiful

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  16. UnknownMay 3, 2011 at 7:34 PM

    so descriptive and sensitive
    there are so many things those eyes see. You gave this painting and the subjects feeling

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  17. TimoteoMay 3, 2011 at 8:31 PM

    No one should be this good, Rene...the nerve!!!

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  18. hedgewitchMay 3, 2011 at 8:42 PM

    Fine writing to a prompt that gave me the old fashioned heebie-jeebies. You've captured some of that here, the underlying menace in a ultra-normal pastoral mother-and-child cliche.Last lines are killer.

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  19. AnonymousMay 3, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Briefly, but exquisitely visual; every word pulls its weight. Top-shelf, world class writing.

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  20. poetgrannyMay 4, 2011 at 12:18 AM

    Lucious and satisfying. Love it.

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  21. MargaretMay 4, 2011 at 12:28 AM

    ...she lives for her son. Clinging to a tiny thread of hope in a godforsaken place. Heavy poetry (I mean that in a good way)

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  22. JinksyMay 4, 2011 at 4:37 AM

    The words "madonna" and "blind baby" were ones that struck me when I saw this pictures - but I thought I was being odd in noticing them! I wonder how many other magpies will cotton on to them too? I've not started visiting till now...

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  23. Isabel DoyleMay 4, 2011 at 7:46 AM

    the heat rusted/old testament back yard - wow
    wow of a poem too

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  24. Kerry O'ConnorMay 4, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    a fallen madonna
    clings to her god...

    This image sums up the entire picture!

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  25. Ann GrenierMay 4, 2011 at 12:11 PM

    Oh, just great Rene! Unusual, deeply satisfying writing. Funny, I had a vague sense there was something wrong with the baby's eyes but ignored it.

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  26. AnonymousMay 4, 2011 at 7:20 PM

    "...the hills belch
    scorching the sky paprika
    with perpetual burnt offerings"

    What an amazingly line in an outstanding write. Your words captured the image perfectly.

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  27. UnknownMay 4, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    The idea of a fallen blind god (angel) that counts every red car (sinner) in a scorching landscape seems pretty much like hell to me. That's my interpretation though.

    Excellent! :D

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  28. hyperCRYPTICalMay 5, 2011 at 7:34 AM

    Truly amazing!

    Anna :o]

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  29. ShariMay 5, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    Beautiful and a little disturbing. btw, I like your blog header.

    ReplyDelete
  30. UnknownMay 5, 2011 at 3:49 PM

    thanks to all of you for leaving such wonderfully brilliant comments.
    I'm savoring all of them.

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  31. ♥ BrajaMay 5, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    you and brian are like bloggy soulmates....

    ReplyDelete
  32. Everyday GoddessMay 6, 2011 at 3:52 PM

    fascinating feel to this.

    happy mother's day too!

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  33. Steve IsaakMay 6, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    Love the descriptions in this.

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  34. Luke PraterMay 6, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    the hills belch
    perpetual burnt offerings
    scorching the sky paprika >whoa! marvellous!

    love it

    Luke

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  35. Carrie Van HornMay 7, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    Rene this is brilliant....a new favorite for me of yours!! :-)

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  36. Tumblewords:May 7, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Stellar piece. Paprika is a fine word and rarely used. It's a perfect fit here!

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  37. LydiaMay 9, 2011 at 4:19 AM

    There is so much to this poem to love, and I do love it all.

    There was a wonderful Hungarian restaurant in Salem, OR, for a few years named Paprikas. I had never heard the Hungarian pronunciation of paprika before and now I cannot see the word without whispering it internally. :)

    ReplyDelete

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