PRAYER IN SCARLET AND WHITE PAINT
THEREis a marvellous washingcreamy and snowy-whitehung high on linesstretched from upper and lower balconiesin the back-yard, across the narrow lanebehind my rusty apple-treeand dusty lilac hedge;and a great splendid ‘woman-by-the-day’comely and fat, with a bronzed skinand tumbled blue black hair,and an ugly and joyous scarlet gown,is hanging out the clothes ...wet heavy clean white clothes ...soft liquid splashes of light amidst dull dusty treesand sombre dirty bricks.The laden lines begin to ripple seductivelyin the cool sour east wind.There is no sun to-day,but the great splashes of high-hung white,the competent brown arms,the comfortable strength in vivid scarlet ...they have given me the warmth and wonderand the refreshmentof tumbling woodland watersand blazing sun.I thank you ... Life!I daub it in on a bit of canvas(with a copy of a Botticelli madonna on the other side!)so I may remember ......the sordid back lane has become quite immaterial ...I thank you ... Life!
THEREis a marvellous washingcreamy and snowy-whitehung high on linesstretched from upper and lower balconiesin the back-yard, across the narrow lanebehind my rusty apple-treeand dusty lilac hedge;and a great splendid ‘woman-by-the-day’comely and fat, with a bronzed skinand tumbled blue black hair,and an ugly and joyous scarlet gown,is hanging out the clothes ...wet heavy clean white clothes ...soft liquid splashes of light amidst dull dusty treesand sombre dirty bricks.The laden lines begin to ripple seductivelyin the cool sour east wind.There is no sun to-day,but the great splashes of high-hung white,the competent brown arms,the comfortable strength in vivid scarlet ...they have given me the warmth and wonderand the refreshmentof tumbling woodland watersand blazing sun.I thank you ... Life!I daub it in on a bit of canvas(with a copy of a Botticelli madonna on the other side!)so I may remember ......the sordid back lane has become quite immaterial ...I thank you ... Life!
THEREis a marvellous washingcreamy and snowy-whitehung high on linesstretched from upper and lower balconiesin the back-yard, across the narrow lanebehind my rusty apple-treeand dusty lilac hedge;and a great splendid ‘woman-by-the-day’comely and fat, with a bronzed skinand tumbled blue black hair,and an ugly and joyous scarlet gown,is hanging out the clothes ...wet heavy clean white clothes ...soft liquid splashes of light amidst dull dusty treesand sombre dirty bricks.The laden lines begin to ripple seductivelyin the cool sour east wind.There is no sun to-day,but the great splashes of high-hung white,the competent brown arms,the comfortable strength in vivid scarlet ...they have given me the warmth and wonderand the refreshmentof tumbling woodland watersand blazing sun.I thank you ... Life!I daub it in on a bit of canvas(with a copy of a Botticelli madonna on the other side!)so I may remember ......the sordid back lane has become quite immaterial ...I thank you ... Life!
THEREis a marvellous washing
creamy and snowy-white
hung high on lines
stretched from upper and lower balconies
in the back-yard, across the narrow lane
behind my rusty apple-tree
and dusty lilac hedge;
and a great splendid ‘woman-by-the-day’
comely and fat, with a bronzed skin
and tumbled blue black hair,
and an ugly and joyous scarlet gown,
is hanging out the clothes ...
wet heavy clean white clothes ...
soft liquid splashes of light amidst dull dusty trees
and sombre dirty bricks.
The laden lines begin to ripple seductively
in the cool sour east wind.
There is no sun to-day,
but the great splashes of high-hung white,
the competent brown arms,
the comfortable strength in vivid scarlet ...
they have given me the warmth and wonder
and the refreshment
of tumbling woodland waters
and blazing sun.
I thank you ... Life!
I daub it in on a bit of canvas
(with a copy of a Botticelli madonna on the other side!)
so I may remember ......
the sordid back lane has become quite immaterial ...
I thank you ... Life!