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| Edward Hooper (via Magpie Tales) |
A6 of the newspaper features the police beat
& on Wednesday-
A man was trying to climb out the window
"to escape his wife." He was "acting strange"
on Moore St. "waving his hands like he is
waving at God."
And who's to say he is not? A Hallelujah moment,
hope for redemption or salvation in the form
of a lightning strike ~~~ cracking the sky
like a smile back that says don't blame me
for your choices
a forerunner of soft rain for Thursday's-
Two "unwanted" people in the parking lot
of the [local] high school
pattering, pattering, pattering on the asphalt
in fluid reflection of the flashing blue lights
written for Magpie Tales.
Focusing in on the single man staring out the window on the top floor of the building in the painting, I remembered some interesting lines from the police beat in yesterdays newspaper. Hope everyone is having a great long weekend.
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77 comments:
Why was he escaping his wife? He hated her tuna casserole and she made it yet again for the 17th consecutive night? And ,,, what happened? Was he forced to go back to her? Is she that horrible?
I need to know this story. Thanks! Now I have something stuck in my head (instant cure to boredom)
Very good I like the newspaper angle.
I am still staring blankly at the painting.
I was looking at the woman in the window for inspiration but nothing came. I like the angle of the man escaping the window ~ Not so strange after all ~
Happy Sunday Brian ~
Ah, those alleluia moments!
Whoa! You described the picture in awesomeness!
I love the way you take the raw stuff of life and make something deliciously poetic of it all.
Have a great holiday weekend Brian.
A picture excellently brought to life.
I hope the heck he wasn't going to jump! LOL loved that first note about escaping the wife cooking yet another casserole LOL
I read it as a woman at the window.. who knows :)
Hahaha. Good one. Very colourful, like you!
You cleverly took off the lid over the man waving out the window. What was he up to? Or rather was it a life and death thing to escape from the wife! Many unanswered questions as a great poem should be.
Hank
To jump, or not to jump - that is the question! :)
"And who's to say he is not? [waving at God] A Hallelujah moment, hope for redemption or salvation in the form of a lightning strike ~~~ cracking the sky like a smile back that says don't blame me for your choices."
Great lines!!
You have an uncanny ability to pull things together. A picture, a clip from a newspaper, words of your own... weaving the seeming unrelated into perfect juxtaposition.
Nice one...
Poor man, trying to escape his wife. He must have finally flipped.let's hope that lightning strike came in the form of salvation. Clever idea using the newspaper snippets.
An image of "War of the Roses" sprang to mind. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in living color! Black comedy is so great .........
A man running away from abuse and two people considered "unwanted". The news is not newsworthy. The news shows how we have failed each other.
Must have caused strife
For him to want to escape his wife
Or maybe he wanted spring fling
And she would not have such a thing
Nice mix and match
With this magpie batch
men do strange things to escape their wives. usually, those things are ineffective.
Interesting how this type of building that should be known for its beauty has the potential for raisig ominous thoughts. Maybe we were weaned on too high a dose of Agatha Christie.
nice idea taking the image and pairing with random police items! I still am curious about the man escaping his wife out the window!
Her cooking? Her nagging? Poor guy maybe he just wanted silence.
A bit of humor to break my fast. As usual a good write Brian.
as far as that cup of Joe...we have good roasters up here in the North West :-)
Wander
I think he was having A Hallelujah moment! Maybe he thought God would catch him!
Interesting take on poetic inspiration taken from your newspaper Brian.
I love the painting and the mood it evokes mingling together with your words.
Enjoy your long week-end :-)
Your poem like the painting, seems bereft of caring or the kind of sentiment that bonds people together. This adds to the alienation suggested in Hopper's work. I even enjoyed your cynicism, "cracking the sky like a smile back that says don't blame me for your choices". A brilliant response, Brian. Thank you for sharing.
Interesting how waving his hands like he's waving at God is viewed as strange behavior in our culture. What a world it would be if we celebrated the bizarre. Thank you for sharing your process. Your interspersal of modern culture in your work often surprises and delights me.
Hope you too have a great rest of the weekend. There is always a story behind everything, isn't there?
"And who's to say he is not? A Hallelujah moment,
hope for redemption or salvation in the form
of a lightning strike ~~~ cracking the sky
like a smile back that says don't blame me
for your choices"
Good grief that is awesome, Brian.
Pamela
Tell me more... love it!
... and, yes, it's a great weekend so far. Hope yours is, too.
you know..i don't find it strange when men climb out windows to escape their wives...my husband does this all the time..ha.. bit of seriousness beneath the fun...there should be warning labels on the choices we make..ya know..
I chuckle that the report actually said a man was trying to escape his wife. Nice painting to go with this, love!
If he was trying to escape his wife maybe he was saying WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?? ARRGG!!
I love your funny poem full of irony.
That man's wife was probably the predator woman I wrote about this morning. Then, for sure, I wouldn't blame him. Smiles.
crazy cool. i can just picture
that escaped man.:]
as always, great write...
JJRod'z
Sir Brian thank you...
I swear, you could read a PHONE BOOK and come up with a poem!
I wonder why the guy was trying to escape his wife? What guy in his RIGHT mind would want to do that? Not if he was married to MOI! Ha ha ha!
Great imagery!
Two unwanted people in the parking lot of a school. Uh, students perhaps?
Waving at God -- love the image!
Too funny:
"A man was trying to climb out the window
'to escape his wife.' He was 'acting strange'
on Moore St."
I LOVE this:
"a forerunner of soft rain for Thursday's-
Two 'unwanted' people in the parking lot
of the [local] high school
pattering, pattering, pattering on the asphalt
in fluid reflection of the flashing blue lights"
This is incredibly clever and well written, Brian. "Unwanted" says so much, from the contrast with "wanted" (by the police) to abuse, neglect, low self-esteem, empty marriage, loneliness ... you captured it all in one word. And such history/self-image/environmental factors can certainly lead a person in the direction of crime or into a pair of unhealthy arms.
I love the pattering of feet running from the police, the sound of soft rain. Or perhaps the pattering of touches and hands on glass; there's rhythm here that could take us in different directions. My guess is that he's escaping his wife into the arms of another woman in the school parking lot and the police are busting the couple in the midst of "rain-making" or "fluid reflection." :)
I think Pat just gave you a good poetic challenge: read the phone book and come up with a poem. :)
I dare ya.
So good Brian love how you talk us about all:))
I pictured a man at the window reading too, made him writing a letter instead. How do you write poetry out of the ordinary, this always amazed me.
I love Hopper's work.
I love it more knowing that it inspired you to write this.
Interesting, intriguing - it gathers steam along the way.
Yup-fun,neat! Thanks Brian.
You did a great job with this pic.
escaping his wife and then saying alleluia...is that strange?
Now there's a story...
And imagery worth the trip over here to see, yesiree.
Have a great Memorial Day!
Man, I DO believe your brain is partly sponge, soaking up every detail of everything you see and experience, or what anyone ELSE sees and experiences.
But then that other part of the BRIAN BRAIN--imagination--brings everyone who reads right into the thick of your day, your observations
You a COOL CAT!
Your imagination surpasses everything!!
discontent
You know, its probably a good thing the police blotter about him running "away" from his wife.
Probably would have been a worse report had she caught up to him...=P
There are some strange things in papers.
Sounds a bit pathetic...... running away from his wife.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
What an interesting poem, Brian. I like the painting, and integrating the news like that in such wonderful prose is great. I also like the way the lightning in the sky was a smile that cracked. (If related to me, it would be I climbing out of the window, but I'd absail, ... properly). :-)
Really cool where this painting took you, the incorporation of the newspaper was very creative, very nice touch. Thanks
Dear Brian, we also have along weekend here celebrating Pentecost, but I rather feel like Memorial day means a lot more to me these days.;)
Trying to escape his wife, it is somehow sad. Sad that he was escaping that way.;) And sad that he had to.;)
Have a great Monday dear friend,
xoxo
to escape his wife... is that acting strangely? One might suppose it was the wife acting strangely! Whatever, another triumph.
Always a treat in store here.
Cad took the words right out of my mouth. What I want to know is... did he, or didn't he?
A day in the life...love the snapshot in time.
Hugs
SueAnn
we do live in a strange world :) Strange,wild and wonderful!
So much happens in a moment in this wonderful piece...my, my...
Happy Memorial Day, Brian! I love that "waving his hands like he is waving at God."
and then the "Hallelujah moment".
Fun, yet with hidden depth.
Kat
This painting did not speak to me. I applaud you for responding well.
;)
Interesting... Like ur train of thoughts ;)
Window to the other side
Who's to say he wasn't waving at God? I love how you think!
Well, at least, there wasn't a cannibal eating another's head as in Miami. Sometimes I wonder what is happening to humanity.
lol.....the amount of times I've had to pull my hubby back from the window ledge!!
This is a sure germ for a bigger infection, Brian!! I love the hook of it...drawn right in!!
An interesting synthesis of the enigmatic picture prompt and the hints and allusions behind the newspaper story.
i love reading the police blotter...so many crazy things...did he keep running from his wife?
Agree with above, too - LOVE your imagination!
"pattering, pattering, pattering on the asphalt
in fluid reflection of the flashing blue lights"
Can read much into the phrase "in 'fluid' reflection."
Perhaps my imagination more morbid than the poem calls for. Another intriguing piece Brian, you weave a good tale!
Interesting how you wove the prompt and the police beat...nice...
isn't it sad that we consider waving to God as strange behavior. Wouldn't the world be more fun if we all stopped for one brief moment a day to wave at God?
Maybe I'll do taht tomorrow....not too openly, as I don't want to be looked at for strange behavior
isn't it sad that we consider waving to God as strange behavior. Wouldn't the world be more fun if we all stopped for one brief moment a day to wave at God?
Maybe I'll do taht tomorrow....not too openly, as I don't want to be looked at for strange behavior
I just love small town newspapers. ;)
I like the think you weigh.
News, a never ending source of poetry material; liked the poem report...
You always surprise me with your imagination...great...
What are unwanted people?
Yea who is to say.....love your angle on the prompt Brian! :-)
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