Irene Latham's Blog, page 81

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Morning"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, Easter! Happy Easter!! And also day 16 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: Be sure to check in with Joy at Poetry for Kids Joy to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

15. "When Papa Paints" after Portrait of Anne by George Wesley Bellows
14. "Whistler's Mother" after Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1 by James McNeill Whistler
13. "In the Company of Kittens" after Contentment 1900 by Henriette Ronner-Knip
12. "Sixteen" after Jeanne Hubuturne-1919 by Amedeo Modigliani
11. "Promise" after Portrait of a Little Italian Girl by Maria Kroyer
10. "Portrait of a Writer" after Oskar Maria Graf by Georg Schrimpf
9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Today I jumped over to Japan to find out what this lovely young woman had to say:

Morning - after “Buki Rinsen” by Tsuchida Bakusen
I waketo gleaming,to drifting.
I am not cold.
Mountains embrace me,the lake is my pillow.
I rest on the ancient.I wait for the unfolding. <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> </div>--> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>- Irene Latham</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=..." width="100%"></iframe><i>-----</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Readers, you will notice that the formatting is different from the graphic to the page. That's because the page version wouldn't fit. And I kind of like it! I am still deciding. :) You might also notice I used adjectives in the place of some nouns -- gleaming (for sun) drifting (for clouds) ancient (for the boulder she's sitting upon). This is just something I wanted to try, so voila! It seems to changes the poem from observation to an offering -- now the poem can mean whatever the reader needs it to mean. I like it. :) Thank you so much for reading!</div><span style="font-family: "times";"><br /></span>

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "When Papa Paints"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 15 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: Be sure to check in with Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

14. "Whistler's Mother" after Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1 by James McNeill Whistler
13. "In the Company of Kittens" after Contentment 1900 by Henriette Ronner-Knip
12. "Sixteen" after Jeanne Hubuturne-1919 by Amedeo Modigliani
11. "Promise" after Portrait of a Little Italian Girl by Maria Kroyer
10. "Portrait of a Writer" after Oskar Maria Graf by Georg Schrimpf
9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Today I've selected a little girl -- who gave me all sorts of trouble! Finally, after HOURS, she decided to speak. Here's what she told me:


When Papa Paints- after "Portrait of Anne" by George Wesley Bellows
I am no longer      just me –I become      a white boat  with a bluebird                sail <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> </div></div>--> <br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">    aswirl on </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">      a summer sea.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>- Irene Latham</i></div><div>--------------------</div><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=..." width="100%"></iframe> <div>Readers, I struggled with this poem! Anne was George Wesley Bellows' eldest daughter. When I did a little <a href="http://www.high.org/Art/Permanent-Col..., I found out that he would pay his children 25 cents an hour to sit for him. So I tried writing a poem that was a list of the things Anne wanted to buy with her quarter -- which meant doing some research into 1915 toy and candy prices. But I just couldn't make it work. I stepped away from it and came back with my imaginative eye, and that's how I landed where I landed. Thanks so much for reading!</div>

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Whistler's Mother"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 14 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: Be sure to check in with Jan at Bookseedstudio to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing! AND it's Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Doraine at Dori Reads for Roundup.

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far (almost halfway home! Wheeee!):

13. "In the Company of Kittens" after Contentment 1900 by Henriette Ronner-Knip
12. "Sixteen" after Jeanne Hubuturne-1919 by Amedeo Modigliani
11. "Promise" after Portrait of a Little Italian Girl by Maria Kroyer
10. "Portrait of a Writer" after Oskar Maria Graf by Georg Schrimpf
9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Today I've selected a classic! And it's really no wonder I selected it. I'll share below. Meanwhile, here is what Whistler's mother would like you to know:
Whistler's Mother- after “Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1” by J.M. Whistler
It's true my lifehas beena symphonyof storms: grey,black, charcoal. But for nowI am not thinkingof my death,or anyone else's.I am buttersoftin this chair,my feet at ease,my insidescandlelit.I am thinking art.I am thinking joy.I am in a roomwith my boy.
- Irene Latham-------------------Readers, I already had motherhood on my mind after yesterday's poem about the Mama cat and her kittens. AND THEN our oldest son came over for supper last night. It is always a joy to share space with him! And that became the empathic bridge between me and Anne Whistler, who was sitting in a room with her artist-son Jemie (her nickname for James). You can read more about this portrait (and those real-life storms) at The Detroit Institute of Arts website. Thank you for visiting! <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> <br />-->

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "In the Company of Kittens"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 13 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: Be sure to check in with Margaret at Reflections on the Teche to see how our Progressive Poem is progressing!

12. "Sixteen" after Jeanne Hubuturne-1919 by Amedeo Modigliani
11. "Promise" after Portrait of a Little Italian Girl by Maria Kroyer
10. "Portrait of a Writer" after Oskar Maria Graf by Georg Schrimpf
9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Today I decided it was time for another animal portrait. And who doesn't love kittens?! Here's what their mama would like you to know:

In the Company of Kittens- after "Contentment 1900" by Henriette Ronner-Knip
mew mew mew mewmassaging my belly
purr purr purr purrsquashing my belly
a chase a pounce a race a bouncea leap a catch a creep a scratch
whiskertwitch tailswishjumpswitch!
mew mew mew mewa furry flurry of feet
purr purr purr purra mama's sweet sleepy treat
- Irene Latham---------Readers, I love being a mom. I do believe it's the most important work I will ever do! And I remember the "sweet sleepy treat" of a baby. Yes, it's exhausting, but how else can you know a love like that? Thanks so much for reading!

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Sixteen" + Janet F.'s line in our Progressive Poem

[image error] Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 12 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: Janet F. is in the house! It's her day to add to our Progressive Poem, and I am happy to host her here at Live Your Poem. Take it away, Janet!

You will find my line below in bold, but first, here’s a toast to the Progressive Poem 2017, the poets and our host (and my host), Irene! Bravo to all!
  Janet is passionate about early literacy
experiences for all kids and loves
watching her first grandchild
grow into a lover of words and books. I’m so happy Irene is once again allowing me to write from her blog!  Someday I will have one, but for now I am on Facebook as Janet Clare, comment on blogs as Janet F.,  am a Poetry Advocate, poet and retired teacher interested in joyous literacy for all kids. I’m president of the Central New York Pen Women Branch, NLAPW (www.nlapw.org.) which keeps me very busy! I’m a proud member of the Nerdy Book Club and a believer in allowing children free access to all kinds of books in a literacy-rich classroom without stress from over-emphasis on testing. 
My biggest discovery as a teacher, very late in my long career, was the value of learning poems by heart and reciting them as a class with no requirement to participate. (They all did.) I continue to substitute teach in my old school and beam when kids say, “oh, you’re the poetry teacher, right? Are we doing poetry today?” Or “you’re my favorite sub because we get to do poetry.” 
Many thanks to Irene and to my Poetry Friday friends and bloggers here, old and new. In my last year of teaching I discovered the Kidlitosphere thanks to Heidi Mordhorst and I have rejoiced ever since. 
So, we’re off to a grand start with our poem about a kid. For kids.  Thanks to Ramona at Pleasures from the Page I had a lot to play with. I thought about sound and syllable and rhyme and pattern, but mostly when I played with my line, I wondered about this child, this bouncy, story-sprouting child. A child with zest, imagination and a playful spirit. Or so it seems. What is she (or he) really like? What stage is he or she drawn to, what is the enticing story? I can see so many possibilities. Is this child a viewer, a performer, a reader, a reciter? Does she juggle? Does he breakdance?  Endless wonder.  In the end I decided to use his (or her) energy to lead us on.
 I toss our poem on to Margaret at Reflections on the Teche  and continue to wonder about our fidgety, creative, story-loving friend.
I’m fidget, friction, ragged edges—
I sprout stories that frazzle-dazzle,
stories of castles, of fires that crackle,
with dragonwords that smoke and sizzle.
But edges sometimes need sandpaper,
like swords need stone and clouds need vapour.
So I shimmy out of my spurs and armour
facing the day as my fickle, freckled self.
I thread the crowd, wear freedom in my smile,
and warm to the coals of conversation.
Enticed to the stage by strands of story, I skip up the stairs in anticipation.

Isn’t April and National Poetry Month here in the Blogosphere wonderful? I simply love it. It’s better than being in a candy store! The delicious richness of the offerings of so many talented, creative thinkers fills me to the brim with sweet delight. Thank you all. 
------------------------
Thank YOU, Janet! I am skipping up the stairs in anticipation, too! (Btw, for the purposes of this post, I took the liberty of adding the stanza breaks back in... it's easier for me to read... but as ever, it's up to those of you with lines yet to write!)

And now, here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:


11. "Promise" after Portrait of a Little Italian Girl by Maria Kroyer
10. "Portrait of a Writer" after Oskar Maria Graf by Georg Schrimpf
9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

And now for today's subject! A portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne by her husband Amedeo Modigliani. Here's what she'd like you to know:


Readers, Jeanne is rather a tragic figure. An artist in her own right, she married Modigliani at a young age. Shortly after her husband died -- when she was only 22 -- she committed suicide. You can find out more about Jeanne here. Jeanne was actually 21 when she sat for this portrait. But to me, she looks so young -- and, knowing what was to happen to her, I couldn't help but imagine her as a teen. There's a softness and innocence in her face, but also an almost-menacing resolve. She seems to me caught in the inbetweenland of power and powerlessness. She seems sixteen. And so, for me, for this poem, she is! Thanks so much for reading!
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ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Promise"

[image error] Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 11 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: be sure to check out Ramona's line of our 2017 Progressive Poem over at Pleasures from the Page. I love how our poem is progressing!

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

10. "Portrait of a Writer" after Oskar Maria Graf by Georg Schrimpf
9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

For today's poem I have selected an enchanting subject! Who doesn't love a baby? And what baby doesn't love rhyme? Here's what this little girl said to me:

Promise- after “Portrait of a Little Italian Girl” by Maria KrØyerMama saysI must sit  for a bit  a little bitty bit
and if Idon't throw a fit  not even  a little bitty fit
afterwards we will get   in the garden  to dig for a bit
and to watch  the butterflies flit.
- Irene Latham <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> <br />--> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=..." width="100%"></iframe>

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Portrait of a Writer"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 10 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: be sure to check out Penny's line of our 2017 Progressive Poem over at a penny and her jots. I love how our poem is progressing!

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

9. "Speaking of the Weather" after Profile of a Woman by Fujishima Takeji
8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

After a weekend of women, I decided to write about a man. :) Here's what he told me:


Portrait of a Writer- after “Oskar Maria Graf” by Georg Schrimpf
Forget the suit; my pen ismoved by yeast and flour-dust, by warm milk jetting into a pail. Many lives have shuffled through my hands,their names stamped and ink-stained.Once we might have met in a lift –what floor, please? –my gloved fingers punching the buttons.And now we meet here, at the intersectionof paint and friendship. Together we scritch-scratch a phrase, a line.We build skyscrapers with glass walls,We say, Let there be light!
- Irene Latham----------------Readers, I didn't know the subject of this painting Oskar Maria Graf was a writer -- or that he and the painter George Schimpf were friends -- until I read this article. I've incorporated bits of Oskar's life into the poem, too -- he was born to a baker-father and farmgirl-mother, and before he was a writer worked as a postal worker and lift operator. I wanted to include these specific details, but I also wanted to write a poem about the universal aspects of being a writer... which is how I came up with the God-like last line. We are all creators, right? :) Thank you for reading! And for your encouragement. It helps! xo

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Speaking of the Weather"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 9 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: be sure to check out Linda's line of our 2017 Progressive Poem over at TeacherDance. I love how our poem is progressing!

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

8. "Happiness" after Self-Portrait with Straw Hat by Elisabeth Vigee le Brun
7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Today I have a profile of a woman by Japanese artist Fujishima Takeji. I was drawn to her strength, and also to her luminance. Here's what she told me:


Speaking of the Weather- after “Profile of a Woman” by Fujishima Takeji
Should you compare meto a rocky mountainI would say,I, too, have faced cruel winds and relentless rain,
I, too, know the sun'sgreedy gaze,and how it feelsto oh so slowly crumble.
Yet each nightwhen that garden of starsblooms and bears fruit,I am first to call it
light.

- Irene Latham

<!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> </div></div></div>--> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=..." width="100%"></iframe> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div></div>

ARTSPEAK! Portraits poem "Happiness"

Hello and Happy National Poetry Month! Here it is, day 8 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
But first: be sure to check out the Mary Lee's line of our 2017 Progressive Poem over at A Year of Reading.

Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

7. "Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait" after Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl) by Frida Kahlo6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky4. "I Am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

Today I have another woman for you -- and a self-portrait. The artist Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun was apparently a favorite of Marie Antoinette! I loved learning more about her in this Guardian article. I didn't read the article until AFTER I'd written my poem, so this one isn't specifically about the art or the artist. And isn't that one of the great thing about writing art poems? It can be whatever you want! I was drawn to the act of the artist creating a self-portrait, what an indulgence that must be (because it doesn't pay anything) and how rewarding it surely must be.

Here's what Elisabeth Le Brun told me:


Happiness-after"Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat" by Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun
Happiness isthis sunnypaletteof unexpectedhours
and a springbouquetof brushes
- Irene Latham

Welcome to Poetry Friday Roundup!

Hello! I'm so glad you're here!

Wow, so much goodness going on this National Poetry Month, isn't there? I am loving all the crazy poem-making going on will everyone! If you haven't already, be sure to visit Jama's Alphabet Soup for a complete listing. I do love April... though with travel this week, and crazy weather, and other spring madness, I am also feeling a bit overwhelmed. I hope to take things a bit slower this weekend. How are all of you holding up?

Before we get to the Roundup: how 'bout our Progressive Poem?! Today is my day!!!

Big thanks to all our contributing poets so far. I am loving all the energetic words and sounds. I also love the medieval theme that has emerged -- I have long been a fan of King Arthur stories. Is there any better musical than CAMELOT? And what about DON QUIXOTE? And THE MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley (one of my most favorite books when I was a teen!)? So I knew I wanted to keep that going. And I also thought it was time to bring the poem back to our speaker, to set his/her feet in motion. And so, without further adieu........

I’m fidget, friction, ragged edges—
I sprout stories that frazzle-dazzle,
stories of castles, of fires that crackle,
with dragonwords that smoke and sizzle.
But edges sometimes need sandpaper,
like swords need stone and clouds need vapour.So I shimmy out of my spurs and armour
-----
Readers, I opted to keep going with the non-US spelling for "armour" to match Kat's "vapour." It seems to fit, given the medieval imagery we've got so far! Also, I did a little armor research here as I wrote my line. Take it away, Mary Lee!

Okay, so here it is, day 7 of ARTSPEAK!: Portraits, my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project, during which I am looking, listening with my spirit ear, and asking these subject to share with me their secrets.
Here are the ARTSPEAK! Portraits poems so far:

6. "Paint-by-Number" after Portrait of a Woman by Alexei von Jawlensky
5. "Warning" after the bull by Lee Jung Seob
4. "I am" after The White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas by George Catlin
3. "What If?" after Portrait of Camille Roulin by Vincent van Gogh2. "The Lady Confesses" after Portrait of a Lady with Mask and Cherries by Benjamin Wilson1. "Mona Lisa in Love" after Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

That's 3 women, 1 man, 1 child, and 1 animal. So today I've selected another child. Here's what she would like you to know:
Virginia, Sitting for a Portrait- after “Portrait of Virginia (Little Girl)” by Frida Kahlo
Mama says I must siéntate tranquilo –sit still, be quiet.
But I want to know everything:how the brush knows where to go,
how much paint to leave on the bristles,what kind of strokes can smooth my tangled hair.
I want a dress of lace and polkadots,not the boring white one I'm actually wearing,
though I'd like to keep the safety pin,which Mama says
is God's one eye always watching –guarding my corazón from harm.
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