Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Ode to the Sunflowers



Ode to the Sunflowers
by Laijon Liu 20131224

O, Shine! Blaze! and Burn!
You golden glorious flowers!
Brighten up this gray canvas now
with your piercing sunbeams!
Stroke by stroke, a passionate verse
bloom and bloom, heart at its strive
there you are, hanging on the museum wall
here you are, risen in my heart, out of dirt.

Seeds, seeds, and your seeds!
your countenance full of hope!
Your curled burdened stems, and drooping heads
attending potato eaters and helpless women.
Christ served the broken and the lowly
glad tidings gushing into coal mine and brothel
Your tranquil lamplight glowing in a shelter,
I see your gaze, and I feel your warmth.

Ah Light! What’s your fairest color?
Yes! It’s Yellow! Orange! and Amber!
Transcending light! Fair radiant aura!
Your gold image enlightens and dazzles!
Morning sun torches its daybreak sky
Setting sun shepherds His wheatfield and sower
Golden bloated moon, spinning gilded stars
stirring up the night heavens of cold!

Heavy laden heart, worn out boots
A renegade son trudges on his new pilgrim road
sunburn face, scorched beard, selfies of distress
a short journey to love is long and weary.
Peach tree and dry willows are in fire
autumn meadow and haystacks melt
standing on a dirt pathway, your soul cries out:
“Believe! My friend! We are doing something great!”

Bard says, Perspective it’s best painter’s art
Your arms like marigold petals at sun’s eye
they’re stretching, reaching, and hanging
a bundle of young suns blooming, and dying
youth for greatness like morning dew
fervent desire, beauty in light
all burnt out, and gone too soon
ah, nothing fades away in your earthen pot

What is true image of life? Love? And Art?
Is it meditative imagination or impulsive depiction?
Pigment mixed with oil, color varies
thoughts and emotion tunes on palette
Light, night, energy, and chaos
village and bars serene, storms torrential
figures, portraits, blossom and trees
Aren't they all exist in heartbeat?

Yeah! Heartbeat, pulse, and gleaming rays
so bright, electric and energetic
so warm, generous and welcome
how fair you are, and how friendly you are!
There you were, standing in the street corner
alone painting [1] your dreamy house yellow
there you were, in your yellow house alone
setting the beds and the seats.

Dream blossoms in your yellow house
buds and buds bloom in bright mellow light
the tan sunflowers set in front of buttered wall
your rushing brush is singing, singing aria:
“O Come and adore, you children of the sun,
Your father does not abandon you!
Your brothers do not abandon you!
In this divine light the living and dead abide!”

Note:
I love Van Gogh's Sunflowers, there's something very spiritual and religious in the sunflowers, especially the yellow over yellow piece, graceful butter light and tan sunflowers in color harmony that symbolizes some sort of Christian theme of God and men or Father and son relationship as Michelangelo's painting, below. Only there's no distance btwn sunlight and the sunflowers.
Since last year, I've studied his letters, books, Taschen paintings catalog book and bought some dvd programs about his art and life and this week eventually written down above 8 segments of my feeling and thought to honor this great tormented pilgrim.
[1] According to the books that Mr. Van Gogh rent a yellow house, and to me an artist is always working, painting, doing something that often attracts people's attention, so I romanticize the image of Vincent painting his house yellow.



Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Zen Poem by a Chinese Monk

Untitled
by Monk Wu Men Hui Kai

Spring blooms, autumn moon
Summer breeze and winter snow
if matters do not weigh down our heart
then we are in good season

by 无门慧开

春有百花秋有月
夏有凉风冬有雪
若无闲事挂心头
便是人间好时节