Painting Poems by Joan McNerney

Tomorrow my husband and I are going to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, so I thought that this would be a great evening to post more of Joan McNerney's painting poems.  Enjoy!  The painting above is not the panel at the Museum of Modern Art, but I prefer the picture above.  The panels are below, giving you an idea of their sweep, perhaps too much.  On the other hand, Joan's poem provides a better idea of what it is like to view the panels in person!

Claude Monet

Water lilies

Become a swan,

glide upon

patches of water lilies,

nibbling smooth, white petals.

Drift among shades

of green and blue

through grassy marshes...

pass pink, yellow, azure.

Be a crystal swan,

float upon water reeds

that rub your feathered

neck like a Buddha stroke.

Circa 1914-26 Museum of Modern Art (NYC)

Joan McNerney

Marc Chagall

Birthday

She:             "Which is the loveliest flower,

the pink, yellow or white?

He:               "You, my dearest posy, are

most tender blossom of

them all."

She:             "Sweet bud, blow me a kiss."

He:               "You make me feel as if I

could fly."

They:            "Our love has given us wings.

Come, let us soar into the sunset

together..."

1915 (Museum of Modern Art, NYC)

Joan McNerney

And by a Woman!!!

Loren MacIver

Morning Cart

Hush, it is morning---

time for milk, fresh

peaches, sweet eggs.

Soft we move this

morning cart in

stillest blue air

for those who rise

earliest.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Joan McNerney

I'm glad that Joan included her response to a painting by a woman.  I'll post some performances by women, starting with Mary Lou Williams who is most known for her Zodiac Suite.

Right now we are under the sign of Leo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucBRb3E4kI4

Here is her "Ode to St. Cecile."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yfqBhxqwZA

As a change of pace, here is Marian McPartland's "Melancholy Mood": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2lTctqUgZ0

Hazel Scott's "Autumn Leaves" is for those of you who are tired of the summer heat and humidity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKlT8aGvDE8

Ms. Scott was also a classical pianist.  Here she performs Liszt for service members in WWII.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G_RztlV2q8

I hope that these performances inspire you to write something for the women in music contest that ends July 31.