(Homage to Picasso’s ‘Three Musicians’)
I had my doubts when he first approached us,
wanting to freeze us in paint when we were never
still. How could he capture this? I still have doubts,
but I must say, his result is miraculous, is it not?
Full of quiver and quaver, of beat, of mood,
of semitone, of foot-tapping. He even included
the old tail wagging dog I’d brought along for no
other reason other than that he tore the house
to pieces if left alone for long. Later on I began
to get the painter’s little jokes; how he inspired;
how he left his mark. Take the pipe for example.
What? You didn’t spot the pipe on the table?
It took a Belgian to load the joke with irony.
That’s what it was all about. Taking the piss.
© Catherine Nicholls
Picture No: 10677232, Credit: Mary Evans / Everett Collection
Catherine Nicholls has lived in the Dark Sky Reserve of the Exmoor National Park for over 20 years. Without the diversions of bright lights and shopping malls she quickly turned to writing poetry to while away the long winter nights. Before moving to Exmoor she farmed in mid-Devon for many years. She is a member of the North Devon Poets @NorthDevonPoet.
Choose PDF type:
