(UPDATE: Speaking of Magritte, was fascinated to see one of his paintings “L’empire des lumières” sold for a record $US121 million in November, 2024. Was also fascinated to see that it was part of a PRIVATE collection.)
It seems to me that ekphrastic poetry — poetry that responds to works of art, or pre-existing works — is sometimes regarded as the country and western of “serious” poetry. I love it. I see it no differently to a stage play that uses audio-visual to tell a story and enhance the audience experience.
I’m no great poet, just saying, but I enjoy the word-challenge. It’s one of the ways I keep learning, to stay young.
René Magritte’s lovers’ series, Les Amants, remains as mysterious and ambiguous today as when he painted the four works in 1928. It seems Magritte, who had his own challenges in life, liked it that way.
“My painting is visible images which conceal nothing. They evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question, ‘What does it mean?’ It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.”
– René magritte https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/1018
In choosing to respond to this painting in the series (my photo, so yes, I had the opportunity to view ©), I’m putting my very short interpretation on Magritte’s unknowable: what happens between two people?
ONCE
I dreamed
we were origami clouds.
Your pillow was my comfort.
I folded into you like linen.
©2024
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