Wheat Field With Rising Sun, Vincent van Gogh, 1889
Was
this
the field you chose
on countless solo walks
through the countryside
to end your torturous life
Was yours
a conscious decision
to take up pistol that day
leave behind blue skies, starry nights
escape the sadness and loneliness
of your world
Or was it
borne from a momentary lapse
an inability that day
to see beyond the wheat fields
visualize a future bright with promise
tragically, sadly ~ we will never know
On
27 July 1890, Vincent took his last walk out into the wheat fields
around Auvers in France. There, he shot himself in the chest. He died
two days later. In his brother’s words, his final resting place is
‘… a sunny spot amid the wheat fields’.

Dearest Helen,
ReplyDeleteIndeed tragically and very sadly... a brilliant communicator via painting but with a restless soul.
Hugs,
Mariette
Ah, you make me cry. (In a good way, I think.) A beautiful poem! And that phrase of the devoted brother's is quite poetic too.
ReplyDeleteYou told it well, Helen. Often when I see his art or read of him I think of his early death. Auvers is 12 miles north of Paris, we've been to Paris quite a few times, north a lot, mostly driving, but we weren't brought to attention of it. Famous people we like to visit theirs. Even Jim Morrison's.
ReplyDelete..
I didn't know the details of his death. So sad. I love the quote from his brother.
ReplyDeleteThe conflicted mind and the brilliant expression of it... so much creativity comes from a background of pain...always makes me wonder.
ReplyDeleteVery sad.....beautifully expressed !....Rall
ReplyDeleteNice angle portrayed here - which goes to the heart of his suffering with real poetic sensitivity. Bless you for that...
ReplyDeleteSadly beautiful, Helen.
ReplyDelete