“The Atlantic”

Mother, Daughter by John Sevcik

A few years back, I was privileged to join John Sevcik, his wife Lynne Campbell–who is also a marvelous painter–and a few art students and friends for three lovely days of art talk and plein air painting sessions and terrific food at a beach house in NJ. This painting, by John Sevcik, inspired the following poem, which appears in Water-Rites.

The Atlantic

She and her mother

are knee-deep in water

their backs to the shore

What they discuss

as they look eastward

you cannot hear–

breakers, the wind,

the natter of laughing gulls

cover their conversation

Besides, you are busy

fathoming the sea’s tones

and mixing the sky–

Trying to stake claim

to the reflective shallows

between you and them

At this hour

they are your subjects

as the sea is

and what they say

she will share with you

later. Or she won’t.

It doesn’t matter, you

have set down on canvas

their communion

And your own conversation–

the one between mind’s eye

and artist’s hand.

~~~

Many thanks to John Sevcik for allowing me to post his painting here on my blog. To see John’s other works and find out about gallery showings, visit him at his web page. He is also a teacher, poet, playwright and actor.