At Play in the Fields of the Lord
Monet painted the haystacks over and over,
in different light, from different vantage points,
as if to discover and record
every haystack ever raked.
Rothko explored horizons,
blurring figure and ground
by omitting the figure.
No peopled landscape there.
After thirty, Bach concluded the Variations.
He could have pictured the shared notes
another hundred ways
and not exhausted the possibilities.
Closest to God, the artist,
who knows how many ways
the simplest elements can re-arrange themselves
but lacks the time and devotion to capture them all.
in different light, from different vantage points,
as if to discover and record
every haystack ever raked.
Rothko explored horizons,
blurring figure and ground
by omitting the figure.
No peopled landscape there.
After thirty, Bach concluded the Variations.
He could have pictured the shared notes
another hundred ways
and not exhausted the possibilities.
Closest to God, the artist,
who knows how many ways
the simplest elements can re-arrange themselves
but lacks the time and devotion to capture them all.
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Author's Note
It's repetitive work but someone has to do it
Other stories by Gary Hardaway
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Been to the Rothko Chapel in Houston maybe a dozen times over the years. Time for another pilgrimage.
A nice read - and what a great closing stanza:
"Closest to God, the artist,
who knows how many ways
the simplest elements can re-arrange themselves
but lacks the time and devotion to capture them all."
Good piece - start to finish, Gary. *
No one sees things with a keener eye. Your work is always surprising, unique. *
*
As usual, you capture your reader, Gary.
*, Gary. I like this a lot. So much for artists to explore had they "world enough and time". Something to cause Marvell. I love the title and the book from which it was taken. Lovely work.
Variations on a theme, yeah.
With a computer I ran thousands of variations on Bach's Goldberg Variations theme. That's why there are artists and wastebaskets, BUT, I like your poem.
Good poem. I would add perception too, but that's just me.*
time and devotion, yep, and maybe perception.*
I take heart in the fact that Milton didn't write much until he was fifty. Mainly sermons, grocery lists.
*
I admire and appreciate the calmness and contemplative mood of this.
A very strong, contemplative piece.
The choice of "lacks" in the last line is intriguing. The one "closest to God" "lacks the time and devotion." I think it's easier in our time to imagine great artists as more than human, overflowing with talent--thinking of them as great for understanding their limits instead, observers of the infinite hay bales, is both challenging and relieving. *
Nicely done - though I admit I still can't figure out whether it's about capturing the perfections or imperfections in the horizon, the harmonies, the fields... But I love the idea of all of this genius being so mathematical and precise, while being so wildly creative. That's an idea that I like to think about quite a bit. Enjoyed this very much.
I really dig how this is about how art is never finished, it's abandoned. God never finished earth, football was on or something.
I really dig how this is about how art is never finished, it's abandoned. God never finished earth, football was on or something.
Thanks to everyone for readings, remarks, and the stars.
Beautiful writing, Gary *
Thank you, Foster.
Good one, Gary.
*
Thank you, Bill.
Ah, so true, and that what makes the artistic endeavor worthwhile. We'll never exhaust the possibilities of perspective. *
Thank you, Christopher.
Lacks the time and devotion . . . devotion stopped me and I looked the word up. It comes from the word devovere, which means to consecrate. *
Thank you, Pia.