A Lesson in Seeing.

Sumi-e,
That is what my poems aspire to,
A flick of strong colour
On hand made paper
Hinting at delicate cherry blossom
Or a mountain sketched in black and white,
But seeming more real
Than the actual mountain.

Sumi-e paintings are vivid with soul,
They pulsate with life;
The careful music of Monk, or Bach,
Visualised with the swish of an ink laden brush
By a solitary master
In a quiet house.
Even this robin, frozen in time,
Seems about to chirrup and hop.
I touch the picture to seek his heart
Beating firmly beneath the surface.

I put away my book of instructions.
My hand grows tense when I hold a brush.
It would take me decades to paint like this,
And to be honest I do not have the patience.
Things that seem effortless, as easy as breathing,
Take half a lifetime to achieve,
But at least I have my palette of words,
Thin lines sketched swiftly on scraps of paper.
With these I can perhaps begin
To tell a meaningful story.

Sumi-e landscapes vivid with soul,
That is what my poems aspire to.


Trevor John Karsavin Potter. 
November 16th. 2018. - September 22nd. - 23rd. - 29th. 2019.