Several years ago, I visited the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. with a friend. At the time, a room was devoted to the work of the American Impressionist Thomas Wilmer Dewing. I was captivated by the ethereal quality and soft colors of Dewing’s canvases. I bought a calendar that included several of his paintings, thinking I might frame them. Not long after this, my artist son asked if there was anything in particular I wanted for Christmas. I asked him to paint me a version of this painting:

Michael’s version has hung over my bed ever since. I’ve often thought these women, my own graces, deserved a poem, but I never got around to writing one for them.

I was inspired to finally pick up my pen last month when Laura Shovan announced her Pantone® Poetry Project. Laura shared two or three colors each day, and challenged poets to write poems inspired by the colors. Day 10 featured Amberglow and Golden Glow, and although these aren’t the colors in Dewing’s painting, they are similar to Michael’s colors.

“In the Garden”

Music tumbles onto the terrace,

Out of doors thrown open wide.

Leaves tremble in the evening breeze,

An echo of trilling piano keys.

Calm descends;

the bustle of the day recedes.

Three women, swathed in silk,

like graceful moths, emerge

into the golden glow of twilight.

The air shimmers

as fireflies flit and dance.

Stars appear,

reflected in the amber glow

of their gowns,

as the last light of day fades.

The music ends,

and the final notes

melt into the evening air.

© Catherine Flynn, 2014

Be sure to visit Julie Larios at The Drift Record for the Poetry Friday Round Up.

Thank you, as always, to Stacey, Tara, Dana, Betsy, Anna, and Beth for hosting the Slice of Life Challenge. Be sure to visit Two Writing Teachers to read more Slice of Life posts.