Twist of herringbone and tie,
guidebook anxious in your grasp,
we wait as charms dangling
in the bracelet of an afternoon queue;
synchronize watches, then pass
like bookends in the Salle des États.
A tangle of art and lust, our palms
flush, while lonesome eyes chiaroscuro
from canvas-covered walls
and bullet-proof glass,
frozen in Janson History gray,
monochrome, medievally quiet.
Tess Kincaid
March, 2011
Tess Kincaid
March, 2011
To join Magpie Tales creative writing group, click here.
As someone who stood in that afternoon queue, I have to admit that I was surprised that the actual scale of the smile did not match the scale of the hyperbole. I expected something on a grand scale to match the size of the master himself.
ReplyDeleteYou saying that poem sounded so theater like with perfect tone n intonation!
ReplyDeleteI loved your words Tess.. very well written :D
Hugs xox
chiaroscuro - thanks for a new word. I had to look this one up. I too was astonished that Mona was as small as she is. The last time I saw her, they had even moved her location. She does get around in those galleries!
ReplyDeleteI, too, was surprised at the smallness of her canvas, but the smile got to me, up close and personal.
ReplyDeleteNicely done Tess.
I think I was in the back row, craning to catch a glimpse, as usual. You have nailed down the experience nicely Tess.
ReplyDeleteNice tension in the contrast of moods.
ReplyDeleteI love that "twist of herringbone and tie" image. This is wonderful. The first time I saw her at the Louvre, I was amazed at how protected against the public she really was--sort of sad, but she's still beautiful.
ReplyDeletethrough bullet proof glass... is it worth the wait I ask?
ReplyDeletere Sourdough... it is most definitely worth starting your own... I have had my pet for nearly a year now and she's done me proud almost every time (except this weekend when quite frankly I should have thrown her from a very high window)
here's a link to my blog on how to start one (very easy)
http://belleaukitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/sourdough-starter-of-new-relationship.html
good luck and let me know how you get on!
Thanks, Dom, I'll give the sourdough starter a whirl. WT will be one happy man.
ReplyDeletepure perfection.
ReplyDeleteFantastic to be able to hear you speak your poem. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteSomething about that smile..it just speaks volumes. Nice imagery, Tess, I can almost see the paintings on the wall.
ReplyDeletesuper artistic and poetic.
ReplyDeleteawesome prompt.
Been there, done it, got the paperweight the pencil sharpener the set of playing cards the Lisa in a snowstorm... And the T Shirt.
ReplyDeleteNow we have the poem.
The image is always bigger than the image, as it were.
ReplyDeleteWow...what words. I'll have to look up that big one!
ReplyDeleteAs always...your words are like fine art!
Hey, Elaine, I had to toss in a word from my old "Janson History of Art" college days.
ReplyDeleteSo breathe-taking and a great vantage point from the observer's POV.
ReplyDeleteLove in the Afternoon-in monochrome. Tryst is delicious, Tess. Twist is such a multi-layered word. Herringbone and tie send a shiver down my spine. All your references carry their weight as lightly as the feather tickling Mona Lisa. Light and shade to perfection in the poem!
ReplyDeleteI love this line:
ReplyDeletewe wait as charms dangling in the bracelet of an afternoon queue;
the first time I saw Mona Lisa she wasn't behind any glass as it was 1957. and at that time there were no queues either.
I was disappointed in her size and was much more impressed by the Winged Victory! But then I was only 15.
I love the visual and feel of the "guidebook anxious in your grasp". This so aptly conveys the anticipation we've all felt when waiting in line like this.
ReplyDeleteI once had a great job making a film for the French Government Tourist Office and they got me entry into the "back stage" area of the Louvre. Great scenes of all the artists and arisans preparing the items for exhibition, etc. Your prompt brought it all back...
ReplyDeleteWonderful leaves me dreaming of visiting. I love the queue you can do your best people watching while blending. The anticipation, I love the anticipation and sometimes it is not at all what we expect it to me which makes it even better.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you captured this waiting moment. You never imagine what the scale of these famous pieces will be.
ReplyDeleteI hope to see her in person someday!
A really inspired 'mood' poem. Well done.
ReplyDeleteHow very clever of you Tess - using the dark and the light to describe the lonely eyes and then bringing Janson in to finish a perfect piece of writing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and thought-provoking...
ReplyDelete~laurie
aha...pretty as a picture
ReplyDeleteEach line ~ perfect! My favorites? #1 and #2. I've also stood in that queue ... dangling.
ReplyDeleteI love "we wait as charms dangling
ReplyDeletein the bracelet of an afternoon queue".
Vivid and sweet.
Ah, just loved this. Walked through those halls and canvas-lined rooms. And saw her, too. The imagery and mood here captures just how I felt that day. Fascinating.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Tess. So much story in so few, finely-wrought, lines. The whole scene was crystal.
ReplyDeletereally liked the details, the bullet proof glass, the palms flush...and how it comes to a rest on the last line - medievally quite...a nice touch, and a little sinister!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Can you ever set a mood, or what! Excellent. Never seen her in person...but it took me back to reading the Divinci Code.
ReplyDeleteYou are so amazingly talented. Thank you again and again for your photography, your poetry, your talents, your writing, and the opportunity to stretch our creativity with you.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWell done! So beautifully said. I was there, right there in Janson History gray, monochrome, and medievally quiet.
ReplyDeleteShe is possibly none other than Rembrandt! Lol. I think the closest we have ever had was the 1950s edition of Marilyn Monroe. Me thinks the Mona Lisa was very much like Marilyn.
ReplyDeleteAbe, I think you are right. She was the hottie of her time.
ReplyDelete"while lonesome eyes chiaroscuro
ReplyDeletefrom canvas-covered walls
and bullet-proof glass,"
love this part!
I am another who had to look your words up. I thoroughly enjoyed this ...love 'we wait as charms dangling
ReplyDeletein the bracelet of an afternoon queue'.
Exquisitely shared experience,
ReplyDelete'A tangle of art and lust, our palms flush, while lonesome eyes chiaroscuro
from canvas-covered walls and bullet-proof glass,
frozen in Janson History gray, monochrome, medievally quiet.'
Brilliantly shared!
Beautiful trysting with a twist of herringbone. Yes! As I remember her, she was small and darkly impressive.
ReplyDeleteSo many art lovers and travelers
ReplyDeletein your manor and blog queue!
I have always read that to see
her, small as she is, becomes
much ado about something,
but size matters.
Your poetics are delicious,
so cosmopolitan. I remember you
telling us your daughter is, or
was in Paris. When did you have
this experience? Or is this a
perfect rendition of imagination
, research, projection, and
wishful thinking?
'we wait as charms dangling in the bracelet'... I feel like this often but never at a tryst!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I see the ML, I always wonder what the background means.
Gosh this was good. Here's a confession I had to look up chiaroscuro and Janson's History...so Was not only entertained, but also educated! Thanks, vb
ReplyDeleteTess -- Chiaroscuro, I had to look this word up on Wiki. You're keeping me on my toes Tess -- barbara
ReplyDeleteDo catch a whiff of depravity emanating from the Manor? Oh how sadly fallen!
ReplyDeleteI love the last 2 words.
ReplyDelete" we wait as charms dangling
ReplyDeletein the bracelet of an afternoon queue " - i have fallen in love with that line...literally :)
the right words brought together and they define so well..
Tess, really beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteI have a new giveaway I think you will love…from The Zhush!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Seems like the sole purpose of art and music, sculpting, poetry, even God's art--nature, is to lift our minds and hearts to a higher plane, at least above and away from the earthly bindings.
ReplyDeleteThis is the FIRST time I ever really took note of her/his eyes, so full of, so expressing peace, and honesty. Your poem has encapsulated the museum-goers: "Let's meet back at the ranch for chow...at noon, OK Elmer?" --grin!
know what's funny? i have a picture of it in the louvre. didn't know when i was there that i couldn't take pix, and no one ever said anything when i was taking them. just a bunch of japanese tourists crowded around the painting, quite small and unimpressive. i preferred the renoir...
ReplyDeleteI loved the Louvre but Mona let me down. Too many people too little intimacy. I needed that medieval quiet to be able to connect. You've captured the experiernce really well. I was there in the old days (1977) when Paris still had horse and cart as their transport system.
ReplyDeleteTess, I loved the way you bring out the atmosphere and the whole experience..
ReplyDeleteThere would have been so many expected ways to approach your prompt, so many that would have been "appropriate" in a quietly unadventurous way. But you sneak up on it from an unexpected angle and, of course, are triumphant.
ReplyDeleteI love the vocabulary in this one... but the word "while" indicates that there is some action to come.
ReplyDelete"Our palms flush While lonesome eyes"... what? Are you using the word "chiaroscuro" as a verb?
The beginning is wonderful, but the ending sort of loses momentum while trying to figure that out.
Marcheline, yes, action to come. Think tryst. Yes, I used chiaroscuro as a verb, quirky, huh?
ReplyDeleteTess, count me as one who had to "look-it-up" and it is now my FAVORITE word: chiaroscuro
ReplyDeleteIn fact, thinking about it, the frieze of my WHOLE LIFE has been and is one of chiaroscuros (and, having never been 'unique' there must be others! Billions of others?--grin!)
Did I ever tell you that you ROCK!
Will think of you from now on when I use the word "chiaroscuro"..terrific!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great word, isn't it? So very Caravaggio. I love to say it whenever I get the chance. It makes me feel so very artistic.
ReplyDeleteOK! So the Master, the innovator, the man of darkness and light--front and center.
ReplyDeleteMy FORMER "word" always made me feel good, because I didn't have it, also it was the only--ONLY-- thing I knew which most Peeps did not. Do I detect a smidgeon of Ego?
pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis--a lung disease. (and I did not have to look it up for spelling--grin!)
Secret: Tess, I like YOUR words better!
Steve, are you sure pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis isn't from Mary Poppins?
ReplyDeleteNot from Mary Poppins. Then again...NOT sure. Heck, I'm not even sure I'm...what did you call me? Steve?--grin
ReplyDeleteThanks for the morning fun! Tess, you STILL 'rock'!
Bet you 'copied-and-pasted' that word
ReplyDeleteI love, "we wait as charms dangling in the bracelet of an afternoon queue" - you always have such great word play. I might have to steal that idea - but I'll give you credit :)
ReplyDelete"lonesome eyes chiascuro"--love that. It is amazing how so small a painting can have such lasting, powerful effect.
ReplyDeletePoem captures that very well, methinks. Thank you.
I feel as though I am one of the charms waiting with you. Very nice.
ReplyDelete'In the braclet of an afternoon queue', that is just such a great line, love it.
ReplyDeletePoetic and artistic work, enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteThis one is wonderfully creative, different, strong!
ReplyDeleteThe shift from simple charm bracelets (a "lower" art) to the sensuous emotion "palms flush" as moving through the great art of the museum is wonderful!
creative & truly beautiful!
ReplyDeletevery picturesque. and i wonder how many have searched on "Chiaroscuro" today! a new one for me. i too appreciated the "charms dangling." aren't we all?!
ReplyDeleteAnticipation, yes. I agree with Anthony North on this score. She was smaller than I expected.
ReplyDeletenice...i really like that line on charms dancing willow...
ReplyDeletethe whole poem is like a visit to a fine art gallery...it was an educational and lovely visit...blessings..bkm
ReplyDeleteWonderful visit to the master, thank you for taking me. I've always found Mona rather plain, and her smile rather mousy, but not so your piece here -- well written... :)
ReplyDeleteRather enjoyed the artistry and craft in this placing of words Tess, also enjoyed the reading. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteWillow,
ReplyDeleteYou know me; I went but refused to stand in line for half a day to say I'd seen the real thing.
rel
Love and poetry are so often at odds with each other, but lust and poetry are the happiest of bedmates -- perhaps its the sensuous weave of beauty which charms us utterly from canvas and naked flesh. Here it's all clothed and behind glass and still burns, like brandy from a perfect glass snifter. Which this is ... - Brendan
ReplyDelete"...we wait as charms dangling
ReplyDeletein the bracelet of an afternoon queue..." did it for me.
Wonderful metaphors here! I love the images you create!
ReplyDeleteAh me! I fear I am too late in the bracelet queue to add much to what has gone before . . .
ReplyDeletewe wait as charms dangling
ReplyDeletein the bracelet of an afternoon queue;
You could add me to yours any day! :)
So many beautifully big words in this one Tess....amazing! :-)
ReplyDeleteExcellent piece - everything works in this.
ReplyDeletei felt as if she had me over for tea. i guess since i've grown up in a big city i've developed a skill for getting past the crowds and finding a feel so right spot. her smallness surprised me as well... i had to get quiet, shut out the hustle and bustle of the outside and i was able to get near to her. that smile is something... so full of... 'something.' i guess that's what gets us.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for your thoughtful and beautiful poem... it takes me to places... again.
Loved this and all the art references.
ReplyDeleteGreat Mag.
Fancy standing in a queue to look at a painting! We have a copy in our smallest room, where visitors can study it at their leisure.
ReplyDeleteBut you poem here is great, and conveys the mixed emotions very aptly.
I felt as if I had been fortunate to be in that afternoon queue. I love "medievally quiet" and I adore the title!
ReplyDeleteDear Tess: Totally relate to Art History class with Professor Hart and;
ReplyDelete"frozen in Janson History gray,
monochrome, medievally quiet."
Would give my eyeteeth to see the Mona Lisa! You got to go from the "queue" and the bracelet; so Parisian a feeling...I'm just sayin' YOU WENT TO THE LOUVRE saw the MONA LISA and wrote about it...yes dreams do come true!
Thanks, everyone, for your generous and interesting comments. You are the best readers in the whole blogosphere, my friends. x
ReplyDeleteI love the Janson Grey. I told my husband about your phrase and he got it. Did you try to use "Sfumato"?
ReplyDeleteHazel, makes my heart sing that you got Jansen gray! How did you know I tried sfumato?
ReplyDelete