Friday 16 November 2018

A POET AT WORK


My father, asleep in an armchair,
breathing in Chopin,

his head resting
on two fingertips.

Silver grey hair,
and a face

gathering thoughts,
before he wakes.

© Shaista Tayabali, 2018





A recent photograph of me and the Chopin listener (taken by our friend Sue Fox), and also one of Mum’s earliest portraits of Dad...  ‘a very quick oil sketch’ is how she describes it... the most talented artists are sometimes the most humble! I love her use of blue, don't you?



11 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Love your poem! And your mom's portrait is so beautiful!

Dwight L. Roth said...

A wonderful poem for your father. I loved the line about breathing in Chopin!
You mother is a great painter!

tonispencer said...

Wonderful poem, wonderful portrait!

Frank Hubeny said...

I like the blue in the eye and hair of the painting. Nice description of your father.

Kim M. Russell said...

Two beautiful portraits, one in paint and one in words. I love the fine detail of your father 'breathing in Chopin,
his head resting
on two fingertips'
and that he is
'gathering thoughts,
before he wakes'.

robkistner said...

Lovely piece, tender love...:-)

...rob from Image & Verse
Lost in Azure

Anmol (HA) said...

Ah, the moment thus captured is wonderful — it paints the character and personality so well in a few lines. And it's a lovely portrait. :-)

Jade Li said...

All 3 (poem, photo, and portrait) are lovely.

brudberg said...

I love the tranquility in this... i think anyone who can listen to Chopin like that has to be a good person.

Lona Gynt said...

"Gathering thoughts before he wakes." Brilliant, funny, tender, clever, and probably absolutely accurate. wonderful portraits. I feel like I have a new friend, he sounds like a wonderful man. I love how you have caught a part of his soul in our new fangled poetry device. :)

Ken Gierke / rivrvlogr said...

I can feel the love for your father in your words.
And your mother's portrait of him is fantastic.

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