Textures

TEXTURES

Shine and shadow, dark and light,

Curtain pleated, sky blue-bright,

Stone so rigid, waving tree,

Strange reflections, masonry,

Slogans, numbers, winking lights.

Texture.....one of life's delights.

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                                                   Hieronymus Bosch

BEHIND BOSCH

How I'd love to enter in your mind,

And get your motives straight,

Hieronymus Bosch, the mystery-man,

Whose pictures we contemplate!

Some think he painted the pangs of Hell

To warn folk against sin,

To show the dreadful consequences

If we let the Devil in.

They think he was good and holy;

They think that, among his goals,

Was the desire to educate

Evil men and save their souls.

Others think, and I'm in tune with this,

That he got a terrific kick

Out of painting the wildly wierd,

Scenes that were lewd and sick.

What better way to indulge oneself

In the gruesome and obscene

Than to paint as a dreadful warning,

A sign to the unclean?

'I show you these sights for your own good'.....

I can hear him saying it now!

'This is your future existence

With the Devil in Hell, I vow!' !

He'd have licked his lips as he said it,

A passionate light in his eyes,

And the peasants to whom he was speaking

Would have thought him wondrous wise.

Today he'd have turned to pornography;

He'd have been on the internet

Swapping repulsive photographs

With other sick minds, I bet.

But I really cannot enter 

In a fifteenth century mind,

So do forgive me, Hieronymus,

If I'm being a bit unkind.

*

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PS

Max and Harry came for a sleepover  on Wednesday night.They were a joy to entertain, both of them so lively yet well-behaved. Harry is into Knock-Knock jokes at the moment so there were plenty of those. Then we watched a Mr Bean film. I was warned of each funny bit that was coming-up. 'I'll tell you what happens next, Grandma!' They were delighted to get into a warm bed; they're not used to electric blankets at home. They were asleep in two seconds. Then, this-morning, they took Banjo over to the oval for a run with the ball.