Thursday, 11 November 2010

The Old House (Bavaria)

today whitewashed

and everything inside
painted white

the tables
the chairs
the doorknobs
the floors
the ceilings
the light fittings
the bedrooms
the lounge
the kitchen
the gas oven
the blender
the fridge
the sink
the bath
the shower
the medical room
the couch
the desk
the hat stand
the doors
the windows
the telephone
you name it

everything painted white
and gleaming like a swan's wing

once it was all brown
the approved colour
dolorous and heavy with enforced limitations

but now it is white
the colour with no limitations
the colour of the visible spectrum
the colour of purity
and forgiveness

how nice it all is

______
gw2010

4 comments:

  1. Is this a real house we are talking about or an imaginary one G? In my imagination all-white would be marvellous - in reality I am not sure I could bear the starkness.

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  2. Pat, It was an art museum in Munich. But in my poem, to concentrate the message, it's a house.

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  3. I teen to agree. White is cold and clinical. As a poetic concept it works just fine though. As a writer white spaces offend me. I want to cover them up with words.

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  4. Thanks Jim,
    Re colours and the web I confess I prefer old fashioned black type on white.

    White on black background reminds me of 'orrible, dusty, squeaky chalk, board dusters, teachers in black vampire like gowns ...

    Some blogs use black type on a sandy coloured background, I rather like that.

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