Tuesday, March 15, 2011

happy faces: a poem by me


Grant Wood, American Gothic (1930)
Art Institute of Chicago


Stone faces staring back at me
Not even able to hear
Stone faces staring back at me
Not able to shed a tear

Doing, doing, doing -- no time to be
Not much time to think or feel
Doing, doing, doing -- no time to be
Do you think they'll like your meal?

Afraid to hear the depths of another
You are present but not really here
Afraid to hear the depths of another
What would happen if I saw a tear?

It's who you are; you are what you know
Although you may not understand
It's who you are; you are what you know
You come from a foreign land.

Would like for you to visit my world
Show you what it's like over here
You've been too scared to enter in
Even though you are very near.

Stone faces staring back at me
Not even able to hear
Stone faces staring back at me
Not able to shed a tear.

by jimi ann


Linking to One Shot Wednesday, over at One Stop Poetry - Where Poets, Writers & Artists Meet...

7 comments:

Brian Miller said...

when i see this picture i often think that...i realise its a cultural thing but they look so dang unhappy, unemotional...ugh...

jimi said...

my sentiments exactly. it's definitely a cultural thing.

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Hi Jimi

I saw this picture before at one of the posts where this image was the prompt and I think this image has some intriguing quality in it... that brings all these emotions up.. may be negative but its an image that evoke a response.. I liked your words that goes with it..
thanks for sharing...


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/03/whispers-love-and-insignificance.html
Connect me at Twitter @VerseEveryDay

Anonymous said...

Nice reflection on Woods' painting. Yes we are so programmed to "do" that we forget to "be."

Rachel Hoyt said...

Such a great interpretation of this photo! It's not neccessarily attractive to be so stoic. I want to see a real smile! Or, if not... sadness. An honest expression.

Here's my One Shot: Leprochaun Limerick

Corinne Rodrigues said...

Wonderfully written, JimiAnn. You're so very talented...

Anonymous said...

wow..... this describes this place perfectly. i wish i could change it.. make it better... make people look deeper and feel deeper. but its where they find their security. its what makes them feel righteous. so the rest of us endure it..and sufocate beneath a fake smile. {thank you}

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