The Artist of Dead Love

[Delta40]

I have read my poetry
through painted pictures
A brush is as good as a pen
but what makes me think
I am an artist?
a swollen pink love heart
beside its transparent double.
I see its gibbosity subtley fray
till the bulbous humps
lose their fullness.
The paper discolours and curls inwards
as rips and tears in the pink shape
shrink its meaning to nothingness.
Is that all I have to say,
to show?
Pink paper lovehearts
systematically dying on
a cheap canvas?
I rode a hard ride to this studio
to rescue the scraps of what I
have left.
Children somersault on the kerb
only to land on their heads.
Outside, I rinse my palette of all colour,
till the water runs clear once more.
Start again, and this time, get it right.
Inside, I hear a train run out of puff
as my brush strokes ask,
isn't that enough?

[everyadventure]

Evocative, this "artist" who thinks painted hearts are enough, who is surprised when he's asked to offer more. I like how the speaker rinses thoughts of him away, and finds the courage to try again...

Wonderful as always, Delta.

[Delta40]

Evocative, this "artist" who thinks painted hearts are enough, who is surprised when he's asked to offer more. I like how the speaker rinses thoughts of him away, and finds the courage to try again...

Wonderful as always, Delta.

Thanks for your kind comments EA. I have edited it a little which has shifted the meaning (to a more accurate one, I think)

[everyadventure]

That does indeed change the meaning, it feels much more self-reflective. Lovely.

[MystyrMystyry]

You're definitely an artist, Delta, and you've definitely captured it

I especially like the line 'To rescue the scraps of what I have left' - this speaks to me as I never throw anything away and am always finding inspiration in said scraps, scraps which accumulate all over the place, sometimes to be painted or drawn on the reverse, sometimes stuffed into brimming teacrates or into the three bookshelves reserved for them in no particular order (!) or under the bed and sofas, on and in cupboards and drawers, even the space under the bottom dawer - I'd post some pictures but it's actually a little embarassing

And my hard drive is equally chaotic - folders in folders in folders all named imaginitively New Folder (2) and New Folder (3) etc all the way to folder 56 in which there'll be another 56 folders and in the last ...

But ths is to take away the self-reflective tone of the isolated creator who loves with a love that cannot be fully shared or understood by the audience - Vincent and Ludwig come to mind here, and the overwhelming need, drive to continue in the pursuit of the intangible, never to know how anything is received or perceived, never to fully believe the appreciators whom as often as not may as well be detractors

You've captured it nigh perfectly - the sense that the sudio is the only place in the world at any time, full of the proof of one's own existence and memories, and being away from it (even from necessity) feels a form of death and to everyone else this is how you're (the artist) treated - as though you're some type of machine that just churns it out - because it's not a performance designed to be witnesed by anyone

And then you use the dual metaphor of the internal train - steaming on and on until what seems the ultimate collapse, mixed with the need to begin anew, and the endless nagging questions of when to stop? why to stop? how to stop? what else if to stop?

Brilliant!

[Delta40]

Wow M, you gave me such a wonderful review, I'm humbled. To be honest, I think you speak my insides better than my poem did! My stuff is a fog to be sorted while you just home into the heart of the matter. I therefore conclude, you too are an artist!

regards
Lesley

[Haunted]

As soon as I read canvas and painting your new avatar came into my consciousness, and those tatoos are actually hearts. In other words, I love your new avy as well as the poem.

[Delta40]

Thanks Haunted. I keep changing my avy till I find one that fits!

[zoolane]

Lovely poem, you're not died yet, and will not with great poems you keep writing.
I had concept but also speaking of maybe someone loses will or able to do what they love.

[PrinceMyshkin]

It was one sort of very engaging poem until I came to


I rode a hard ride to this studio
to rescue the scraps of what I
have left.

at which point I understood that this wasn't just good poetry, it was a brave person speaking candidly (and it was poetry!).

[Delta40]

I had concept but also speaking of maybe someone loses will or able to do what they love.

You got it Zoo!

[Delta40]

It was one sort of very engaging poem until I came to


I rode a hard ride to this studio
to rescue the scraps of what I
have left.

at which point I understood that this wasn't just good poetry, it was a brave person speaking candidly (and it was poetry!).

I only wish I knew how to post a picture in a thread and paste multiple quotes with my comments between them - it is what keeps me from growing wings and flying actually :lol: Thanks for you comment Prince