City Rain
after “Spring Showers,” circa 1900, by Alfred Stieglitz
These delicate mists
soften almost everything—
stones, concretes, bricks.
The old woman
in a black hat
bends
toward pavement;
the pavement shines
like the surface
of a lake, a lake ringed
by buildings
shimmering like hills.
Everything
seems to dissolve~
except this singular
sapling,
its slender trunk
rocketing
out from
a circle
of black iron,
firing
dark clouds,
explosions
of new buds,
fresh-inked on
this silver sky.
Leslie Schultz
It is raining here today, and I thought I would try a double imitation. Here is a poem inspired by a lovely New York image from more than a hundred years ago with, I think, the distinctive look of a Japanese brush painting. To see a digital image of one print of this evocative photographic capture by Alfred Stieglitz in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, click HERE.
Meanwhile, my more prosaic–and sun-drenched–black and white image, taken a couple of blocks from my house, is below.
Hoping your day holds joy in all weathers-–Leslie
Check out other participants at the NaPoWriMo Challenge 2017 home site!
Check out other participants at the NaPoWriMo Challenge 2017 home site!
What a lovely series of words and images, Leslie!
A very good eye and a pretty wonderfully attuned ear, as well! Thank you for your astute reading, Jan.
You once said I have a “good eye.” 🙂
Clever you! I hadn’t seen that Easter Islandish profile!
What a stunning photo by AS. Your poem is moody and evocative. I like that the sapling is “rocketing” and “firing.” Your black & white image has a human profile in it–delightful.
Lovely poem. I like its compactness and movement.