inspired by the painting “The Sower” by Vincent van Gogh and piano composition by the same name by Kayleen Asbo
Forever, the farmer depicted in oils
strides across the field throwing seeds
in an eternal ostinato sowing.
Forever, the sun behind his back
pulses radiant, golden, glowing.
Forever, the worker is caught mid-step
as he swings back his arm in the blue-ish light,
Forever his work is never done.
Forever there are mouths to feed
and grain to grow and the need
for one who unstintingly sows—
and there are thousands of ways to sow.
It is said the only thing necessary
for evil to triumph
is for good people to do nothing.
And so like van Gogh’s sower,
it is our work to keep sowing.
Though forever loss.
Though forever the poor.
Though forever depression.
Though forever war.
Though forever the crows descend
to follow the sower and eat the seed,
the sower sows despite.
The sower sows because—
The sower sows forever,
for that is what a sower does.
And are we not, each of us, sowers?
and i love what you choose to sow, dear man
The seed never sees the flower, the flower never sees the fruit, and yet – onward it all goes.
oh this is so how it goes on … thank you Heidi
Beautiful and true.
I adore you, dear sower of light
I am loving your continuing ekphrastic study of Van Gogh’s art while you listen to Abso – these poems are so sensitive, thoughtful and thought provoking.
In this, you capture a rhythm of life – like a metronome, the sower’s arms swing.
Your last two lines, among others, is (dare I say it?), music to my ears.
ha! Thank you, Kerry–your music comment makes me smile, because I am delighted how much music shows up in these poems. In part I am sure because I am so attuned to Kayleen’s music. As in this one, so many long o sounds–ostinato, grow, so, sow, glowing, golden, crow, sow, sow, sow … they tickled me so!
And yes, I am so glad that the rhythm came through. I was struck by the paradox of the stillness of the painting and all the movement in it. Your comment is making my day!
I looked up ostinato to find it is the perfect word for this sowing and lends music to what we all must sow despite… xoxo
it’s definitely inspired by the music of Kayleen that someday everyone will get to hear along with this–she has an ostinato in the left hand that drives the whole composition–so beautiful, persistent, as we must be as we move forward