The Voice In A Painting


The Trouble With Time ~ A painting by Mike Worrall

My marble windowsill
of prosperity must become
more than a calloused perch
for viewing the destitute
caught in poverty’s whirlpool.

Wealth means nothing
if I spend it on selfishness
while the world drowns.

Unlace my corset of arrogance
that constrains compassion
and let me breathe generosity.

I can no longer feed
at the silver breast of greed.
Life is more than counting coins.
It is the open palms of giving
wherever there is need.


©Susie Clevenger 2013

This painting also inspired the following.

The trouble with time
is it drowns life
just when you’ve
learned how to swim.
_______________________________________________


 Poets Corner ~ Painting by Mike Worrall

She plays fantasy’s strings
with lust rosined bow
for an audience of
double standards.

©Susie Clevenger 2013


Grace at Real Toads offered us the beautiful art of Mike Worrall as inspiration for our creativity. Sunday Challenge Featuring ~ Mike Worrall


Comments

Anonymous said…
Awesome...This painting is enough to say, no need of words :)
hedgewitch said…
Whoa, Susie--a very neat trifecta around these paintings. In the first, solemn and posed as the woman, the voice finaly breaks out into bald truth " I can no longer feed/at the silver breast of greed." and the two short pieces are both exemplary in concision and execution. Really good work here, Ms S.
Susan said…
Wow, Susie. I LOVE what you did with these paintings--the first poem an epiphany, a fantasy--the second fun on the wisdom at life's end--and the third sexy irony! So much flavor in one little posting. Very fine, indeed.
Scarlet said…
If I may Susie, this part reminded me of the calamity in the Philippine (10K dead) ~ The giving & breathing of generosity resonated strongly with me ~ Also enjoyed your two short pieces ~

Thanks for participating in Sunday's Challenge & wishing you Happy Week ~
Other Mary said…
Oh Susie all three of these are gems!
Hannah said…
"I can no longer feed
at the silver breast of greed."

and

"Wealth means nothing if I spend it on selfishness while the world drowns."

Wow! Nailed squarely with these, Susie!!

I love wisdom planted within these poems.

Excellent writing!
Anonymous said…
love the second one of the 1st painting, and everything about the one for the second.
Sumana Roy said…
'Life is more than counting coins.'......a great truth of life
..........both the paintings and your lines complement each other....
humbird said…
'I can no longer feed
at the silver breast of greed.' ~ love this line, and 1- stanza poems - very meaningful too!

Brendan said…
Your poem perfectly caught the poise of a woman who turns from some elegant view to sense a rising tide we can't avoid without drowning in something else -- our greed. Nicely done.
Fireblossom said…
I like that second one. A lot of truth to that!
Kerry O'Connor said…
That first painting gave rise to so many amazing poems, and yours is no exception and I was struck by the veracity of the poem written for the second painting, and how true for the modern performer.
Marian said…
oh good lord Susie, that poem (the first) punched me right in the gut. thanks for writing that.
Ella said…
I love the fables that you threaded throughout your poems~

Love this line:

""I can no longer feed
at the silver breast of greed."

The first one is my favorite
brudberg said…
Oh three poems that are really gems all of them... my favorite was the last one..
Marvelous Susie.The first one really strikes a chord as I feel very saddened as well regarding the greed of the world.
Margaret said…
The last stanza of the first poem is tremendously amazing …. silver breast of greed (wow) and the last two short poems really are larger that life - so witty and remarkable.
all three poems are amazing!

i especially love

"She plays fantasy’s strings
with lust rosined bow
for an audience of
double standards."

brilliant!


Anonymous said…
well penned, Susie ~
C.C. said…
These are all fantastic. The second, short one about the first painting...for such profound accuracy to be expressed so beautifully is a joyful thing. Thank you. The first one of the first painting....that is my favorite. The meaning, the cognition, the challenge, all so powerful. Amazing work :-)