Using Our Words

Last week, we found inspiration in paintings. A storm was coming--as storms do in January--and we sat around the table in the Honors Residence Hall apartment looking for warmth and inspiration. We found it in paintings of sunshine, Greek gods, and Icarus falling into the sea. We read poems inspired by the art and shared our own thoughts on them. The statue of Apollo reminded one Boltoneer of meringues. It made me look at the marble statue differently. And that's exactly what such writing should do, we said. It should make us re-see, rethink, reimagine our world. With that task in mind, we each wrote about a painting from either Monet, Manet, or Hopper. The results made each of us notice something different about the art. 

Below is a poem from Boltoneer Emily Buras writing about Monet's "An Artis's Garden"

A (young) Artist's Garden, A Response to Monet's Painting

Emily Buras

In a tangled jungle of sunflowers, 

behind the red brick house

the trees follow daylight.

An abandoned work basket becomes old Indian ruins, 

ripe for exploring.

Mud-stained, weary, his play clothes a mess, 

the famous adventurer braves 

garden cat attacks and

fierce cicada war cries.

Playtime lasts for weeks, 

months 

on end.

While fording the river of 

mossy

stepping stones 

El Dorado comes into view. 

"Tea-time!" cries the queen of the natives.

The explorer sheathes his butter knife machete, 

stolen from the kitchens, 

and leaves the jungle for another day.

The sunflower trees turn to follow his retreating

golden head,

mistaking him for the sun.

Join us this Tuesday, February 12, at 7 p.m. in the Honors Residence Hall RFL Apartment. We will be writing about all things love--both falling in and out of it. See you then!