walking home from work
through the snowy streets of the city
lost in his thoughts
paul signac snow, boulevard de clichy, paris
he slowly climbed the stairs
to his tiny apartment
gustave caillebotte rooftops under snow
catching his breath -
a glass of wine in his hand -
he found himself
wishing
that he had
climbed the side of a hill
at the end of which waited
the place he called home.
a simple place.
alfred sisley a village street in winter
with a view
that left him breathless.
theodore robinson winter landscape
39 comments:
Sheer genius!
What a beautiful story: simple yet cleverly told.
I love this short story with the beautiful art and snow falling on your blog! Have a happy Sunday!
Such glorious simplicity. Ah the importance of place.
Superb paintings, beautifully strung together with an sympathetic text.
Marvelous photos, lovely thoughts to ponder. Thanks.
A beautiful paring of thoughts and images. I've never been to Paris in the winter, but I'll bet the view would leave me breathless too.
dan thankyou! i saw the first painting and was immediately drawn to the figure in the foreground. i recalled a feeling similar to the one i projected onto him on days like that portrayed when i worked in toronto and would trudge home to my apartment thinking about how i wished my life actually was. the narrative is extremely simple. i wished to be somewhere else that was good and simple. i'm glad that i was able to find some other paintings that supported the simple wish that i placed on this person. have a lovely day. steven
rachel thankyou. it is a very simple story. i imagine it echoes the thoughts and wishes of many people. ave a peaceful day. steven
hello alaine - thankyou so much. i like this place also. have a lovely day and stay cool! steven
you're so right elsiabeth. the simplicity of place. it matters so much and yet it can be comprised of almost nothing. have a peaceful day. steven
hi dave - i love these paintings. the images and the feelings contained in each are amazing. thanks for dropping by! steven
hello pauline - it's such a simple idea, this idea of place. but such a powerful frame for how we get to live our lives and affect the world. have a lovely day. steven
hi barry - i haven't been to paris in the winter - my lucky bruvver has! as i mentioned i my reply to dan (up above) i transposed my experience of living in uptown toronto onto these paintings. i remember so many fridays coming home and wishing i lived somewhere simpler. i'm pretty close to living my wish! have a lovely day. steven
Well done Steven!! You chose a creative, clever way to put words to experience.
Oh. This is so beautiful. We humans yearn, don't we? Always full of longing. It's such a sweet part of who we are.
Enjoy your view!
What magic those Impressionists created! If you're ever so inclined, there's a magnificent 2 disc series called "The Impressionists", a dramatization of their friendships and lives in Paris and beyond, as told through the eyes of Monet. Spellbinding - I've watched it 3 times. Your students would probably enjoy it, as well.
"...with a view that left him breathless..." YUP!!! That's it! So good!!!
Steven, this is indeed magical. The paintings are lovely and your simple words bring them together in a way that resonates with all of us.
The paintings chosen for your story are so gorgeous, makes me yearn for snow...for about three seconds...I have been in Paris during winter- it was not lyrical- rather windy with brown grey slush skirting every structure. The snow was not whiter on that side of the continent but it was French snow- I saw it as romantic- I was young, so, there you go.The brown/grey slush and bitter cold had a rosey tinge.
hello bonnie - it's interesting to me that that first painting connected so closely to something i hadn't thought about for some time and how the narrative flowed outwards from that point. i could feel it clearly in myself. have a lovely afternoon. steven
too true reya - i think about things that could be "different" perhaps even "better" for myself off an on. it's a part of being human i guess. i don't like it a whole lot although sometimes it motivates me to look at the status quo and ask why and sometimes do something about it. have a lovely dc afternoon. steven
hi golden west - thanks for the heads up on this series. i looked it up online and i've found a source. i love art as a whole but the impressionists are high up there for me in terms of their ability to embed feeling in their work. have a lovely afternoon. steven
hi jenny - that's what i wanted so badly when i worked in a factory for ten years for my dad and rode the subway and buses for an hour each way to and from a little apartment in a great big building. it was a life of my own designing but not what i wished for myself. so here i am!!! have a lovely evening. steven
hi joanna - i imagine most people have felt this feeling at some time in their lives. a dissatisfaction. have a lovely mexican day. steven
hi linda sue - that's funny!!! three seconds?! come on give it a chance!!!!!
the way i've experienced winter in a big city is that there's romance on the other side of a door in the big city - when the slush is on the other side!!!!! have a sweet afternoon. steven
what a lovely selection of paintings to illustrate your words...
Steven ~ Très joli ~ merci ~ MC ~
The words and the pictures go together so well. I can't imagine looking for either.
This selection of paintings is just delightful, Steven. And I love the little story that weaves them together. Very nice.
What a treat for my first visit to your blog. I feel relaxed just reading your post.
hey technobabe - there you go! chill in the peace and quiet of the golden fish. what are you listening to? steven
mcj art - merci beaucoup! steven
hi abe - i have always lived life as i receive it or create it but there have been times when i have wished for difference. have a lovely evening. steven
hi willow - it's simple. a little taste of what goes on in my head sometimes. have a lovely toddy at the manor tonight - no water! steven
thankyou crafty green!!! steven
this post is intensely relateable. i love the images. their impressionistic quality lends itself well to a story which draws on memory.
Aw! Somehow those words seem so truthful, uncontrived, you know?
Beautiful words and beautiful paintings.
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