Tuesday 12 July 2011

Zest for Life

People of Chilmark  Thomas Hart Benton
Fresh faced,
Exuberant,
Energised;
Barefoot,
Dipping toes
Into the sea of life;
Riding high on the
Crest of a wave.

Youthful
Rough and tumble;
Happy chaos;
Bodies touch bodies,
Minds touch minds,
Vitalised,
Existing for the moment.

Without Tess's great Magpie prompt I would have never known of Thomas Hart Benton -
What a wonderful artist!

Anna :o]

17 comments:

kaykuala said...

Movements and youthful vigor very much in your verse. Very refreshing!

Louise said...

Great last line - existing for the moment-really enjoyed this.

Brian Miller said...

the intensity changes much in the second...the time of our youth can be a blend of both...

Liz Rice-Sosne said...

There is a lot of energy in his paintings isn't there ... very nice response to the prompt!

Laurie Kolp said...

We could learn a lot from these youth...

Helen said...

You described the energy in his painting perfectly!!! Existing for the moment.

Martin said...

You've summed it up in one line, "Existing for the moment." Perfect.

Tumblewords: said...

Love the energy in this!

Sue J said...

It's certainly full of life and movement.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thanks so much for your kind comments folks.

Anna :o]

Tess Kincaid said...

I love "happy chaos".

Katherine said...

Anna I love how you captured the movement & meaning of this painting in your verse. It is lovely! I hadn't heard of T.Benton either until this prompt, so I went read up on him a little and now I too am a fan.

Maggie said...

Wonderful, Anna. I'm glad you found THB. He is terrific.

Lynette Killam said...

I love the vitality and movement in your words, Anna...this piece just pulses with life!

Like you, I'm delighted to have discovered this painter...:)

Lyn said...

Existing for the moment..perfect! And enjoying that moment...what it's all about!

Mike Patrick said...

A wonderful expression of all the activity in the painting. Oddly enough, I was familure with the artist’s name, but not the painting, probably because Thomas Hart Benton is from Missouri. Did a little research and learned that Benton studied modern art in Paris but ended up rejecting abstract art. People of Chilmark is composed of figures he knew: friends, neighbors and his wife. I would bet that he'd approve of your poem. Don’t you just love the swimming suits from the 1920s?

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thanks for you kind comments folks.

Mike ~ I do love the swimming suits - they look sort of so athletic!

Loads more Magpies to read yet - so off I go!

Anna :o]