The Nature of Art

The Nature of Art

It’s here and it looks beautiful. The photo does not do the cover justice as Geoff Slater’s painting is just phenomenal. The book holder wishes to announce that the photo does not do him justice either. He is much more good-looking in real life. I don’t have the Amazon / Kindle details yet, but I’ll post them as soon as they arrive. meanwhile, you will all have to make do with one poem. But remember: “A poetry book is a dream you hold in your hands.”

Still Life with Hollyhock
Geoff Slater

How do you frame this beaver pond,
those paths, those woods? How do you
know what to leave, what to choose?
Where does light begin and darkness end?

Up and down: two dimensions. Easy.
But where does depth come from?
Or the tactility, the energy, water’s
flow, that rush of breathless movement
that transcends the painting’s stillness?

So many questions, so few answers.
The hollyhock that blooms in my kitchen
is not a real hollyhock. It is the painting
of a photo of a genuine flower that once
upon a time flourished in my garden.

A still life, then, a nature morte, a dead
nature, portrayed in paint and hung alive,
on display in this coffin’s wooden frame.

Click on this link for Roger’s reading.
Still Life with Hollyhock


6 thoughts on “The Nature of Art”

    • Thanks Tiffany. The hollyhock is on my kitchen wall, right beside my chair. Geoff Slater painted it for me a couple of Christmases ago. He’s a fabulous painter. I think the painting will sell more copies than the poetry will. let me know when you package arrives. All best wishes, Roger.

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    • Didn’t know about you and the thong. It takes all sorts I guest. Second place, WFNB, Bailey, 2020, but revised and rewritten and expanded, KIRA (May-June, 2021). Thanks for being here with me, Neil. Much appreciated.

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