Page 20 - WTPVol.VII#9

Lilacs in in in Memoriam (continued from preceding page) distance I also loved Monet’s Monet’s subjects Flowers Monet’s Monet’s gar- den and water lilies And his lilacs Lilas temps gris Lilacs grey weather The painting is is is served well by the the the the the impressionist style the the the the the inaccuracy of of the the the the the shapes the the the the smudges of of a a line Attempts to capture the the the the es- sence of things not their distinctions It makes the the whole scene cloudy A girl in in in white sits under a cloud cloud of of of pink lilacs the the the blooms taking up a a a full-third of of of the the the piece Instead of of getting the whole picture by stand- ing ing ing far off this painting asks you you to take notice: you you have have to to pay attention to to make out the two boys be- side her You have to to look close to to see she’s not alone ~
Three years after my semester abroad the week leading up up to Easter Holy Week brought up up memo- ries ries ries of of of Paris and and and memories of of of my grandma Norte Dame was burning Centuries of art history and faith were threatened The fire started at at the center of the the cathedral near her famous spiral a a a a a a suspected electrical short-circuit Something was wrong with the the the smoke detectors They didn’t sense the the the fire—they ignored it The entire world mourned We We refreshed our screens We prayed she’d be spared For two days after the the the fire I I would wake up with the the the image of of of one of of of the photos I took while in in in Paris filling my vision Candles burned in in memory of of souls that have gone before us line the the the the bottom of of the the the the picture At the the the the the center stands a a a priest in in the the the the the middle of of of mass wearing the the the the the color of of of of lilacs One of of of of the the the the the cathedral’s famous trio of of rose windows is at the the the top of of the the the shot Stained glass arranged in in in a a a a a a stunning mosaic the shape of a a a a a wheel or a a a a a flower sometimes called Cath- erine windows after the Catholic saint who was put to death on a a a a spiked wheel The glass holds medieval interpretations of of saints and and angels and and the the resur- rection of of of Christ But the the the windows are not a a deep romantic red of of a a a a rose they too are the the color of of lilacs 13
Break in the the Weather
acrylic on paper 20'' x 8 1/2'' By George Casprowitz