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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  11. Every line is lush and gorgeous. Wonderful.

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

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

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

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  17. Lucious and satisfying. Love it.

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  18. ...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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  19. 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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  20. the heat rusted/old testament back yard - wow
    wow of a poem too

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  21. a fallen madonna
    clings to her god...

    This image sums up the entire picture!

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  22. 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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  23. "...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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  24. 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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  25. Beautiful and a little disturbing. btw, I like your blog header.

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

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  27. you and brian are like bloggy soulmates....

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  28. fascinating feel to this.

    happy mother's day too!

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

    love it

    Luke

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

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

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  32. 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. :)

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