This was the first Winslow Homer painting that caught my attention,
as I clicked through his portfolio inside the museum at the Art Renewal Center.
I thought of using his painting in a poem later this autumn, but she carries an aura,
of an aerial firework competition that I can’t ignore.
Autumn’s red palette of spectacular oranges, scarlets, and reds are juxtaposed,
with picture the earth green, and even her flesh tones create a nano explosion.
Those brilliant red leaves were squirted straight out of the tube,
and hang in the upper hand corners, numbers one and two.
Everywhere else on the canvas the colors are grayed,
except for the floating leaves at her knee, brushed out from her golden skirt like a Fourth of July parade.
However, the message of this summer writing is about contrast – found on her upper torso, and around her hat and gloves that are located on the front plane,
and a tad less about color – tapping her on the shoulders, saying, “Excuse me dear woman, step forward, and I will help you hold your shoulders back for the camera, and stand still, please”
And the stretching limbs to her left motion, “Now, tilt your head a little to your right side.”
And the slender, Etch A Sketch stem to her right says, “Hold your chin up to the sunshine.”
And with additional contrast of sparklers in her collar, buttons, and bows,
she sounds like crackles, and looks like a celebration show.
And lastly, she would proudly reply to my highly informed poem, “§amarican Woman,” to be published on July 4th, with a democratic,
♪My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty♪
~ §tacy §weeney