My first go at a dVerse challenge, this one caught my eye and I couldn’t stop the words flowing, thanks for the challenge!
Part 1: Choose ONE title ONLY and write a painterly poem – in other words, paint us a picture that you imagine fits the title. I chose the painting title: A Painter Without a Brush (Gerhard Richter)
The colours dance inside my mind,
But onto canvas they can never go.
My imagination imagines images too intricate for me alone to recreate.
For I am not a painter without a brush,
That could still splatter art onto easel with fingers and show her mind.
I am a painter without the ability to paint.
Yearning only to share my inventions,
but lack of medium rather than limbs,
Inhibits my expression.
I try to use story instead.
For a picture shows a thousand words,
But what if I could share a picture with just a few?
Optional Extra: For those of you who like an extra challenge, then only after you have completed Part 1 look up the artwork link of your title choice and write a second part to your poem as ekphrastic.
Yellow.
I see yellow.
Unappealing like a warning sign,
Scratched across the page.
The remains of a thin metal tower,
Sharp and central,
The only thing that carries structure in this world of teardrop colours.
Such industrial colours cover any sense of landscape,
With graffiti that hides even itself into illegibility.
Confusion rains onto the bold ugly scene.
I don’t like it but I’m mesmerised by it.
This is what they call art.
You can find the artwork below and linked here.

I think the two poems work great in pairs… first the ambition of the painter who knows that he cannot really capture what he wants, then facing the real painting you see those colors and how they affect you.
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Thanks for reading and the feedback Björn!
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Nailed it. Twice. Welcome aboard.
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Wow thanks Ron!
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“I don’t like it but I’m mesmerised by it.
This is what they call art.”
Sometimes I’m even repulsed by it. Whatever the emotion, art affects me in some way – at least the art I call art. If there is no emotional pull or push, it is just a picture.
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So true!
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Rising to the challenge and the EXTRA POINTS too …. well done, well done.
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Thank you Helen! ☺️
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I echo what Bjorn said. The two go well together. I also like the refreshing conversational tone of the 2nd one. Welcome to dVerse!
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Thank you so much, happy to be here!
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You’re very welcome, Emine.
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Welcome to the Poets Pub, Emine, where everybody reads your poems! I agree with Björn, the two poems work individually and as a whole. I know the frustration you express so well in ‘My imagination imagines images too intricate for me alone to recreate’, it happens to poets too! The ekphrastic response to the painting is palpable, especially the yellow ‘scratched across the page’ and the industrial colours that ‘cover any sense of landscape’. The final lines are honest and, I think, very true.
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Thank you Kim for such detailed feedback it is really appreciated. ☺️💜
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The first one truly captures the ‘painter without brush’ theme
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Thank you Ron 🙂
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I like especially the contrast between the two poems–the inner and outer worlds. (K)
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I’m so glad you did 😌
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Nice take on the prompt and I agree with Kerfe, you’ve created a great contrast between the two poems.
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Thank you Ingrid!
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Beautiful blog
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Thank you 💜💜
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I understand you when such thoughts cannot be put into the canvas ; its just in our heads.
I so like that the yellow color stood out for you. This title is very popular and its lovely to read everyone’s different take on it. Thanks for sharing.
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Definitely I enjoyed reading yours as well 🙂
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Very nicely painted in both instances. No brush required.
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Wow thanks Sean! ☺️☺️
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Very nicely done! Painting with words takes just as much skill as with a brush.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but the opposite is definitely not true. Few words create a masterpiece as you have shown.
dwight
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Thank you Dwight ☺️ I really appreciate your encouragement!
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You are welcome~
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I think the second stanza has to be my favourite, the line “With graffiti that hides even itself into illegibility” jumping out especially. A fantastic response to the artwork.
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I think that might be my favourite line too, thank you so much for reading and appreciating Carol ☺️
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