young woman in an evening dress (1879) berthe morisot
her mouth, her eyes. they're saying so much - and so little. this painting is about a finely poised containment. presence counterpointed by ambiguity.
what has happened? what will happen? narratives flood from her simply sitting there.
the gown you wear is curiously like sound--
tangles of dahlia-murmurs taking shape
in shrinking, mellow sprays.
the everlasting journey of your heart
gliding over a sleepy litany
that winds through scattered star-flowers of regrets:
the everlasting journey of your heart
is like a fragile traveler of sound--
a murmur seeking the love that gave it birth.
maxwell bodenheim
more of maxwell's writing can be found here.
