Return to Monet

Monet Waterlillies

Modern Museum of Art

March 28, 2014

While traveling to New York City

in the year 1997

I was able to see an amazing exhibit

of 

Monet's Water Lilies

in the 

Modern Museum of Modern Art

located at 

11 West 53rd Street

I still carry the vision

of the three large paneled

original artworks

in a very quiet room,

with only a bench

to sit and take it all in.

I bought the beautiful poster of the works,

had it professionally framed

and that poster now hangs

in the hallway of my home,

a constant reminder

of the artist

I so truly love.

Before leaving for my yearly trip to New York City last week,

I made it a goal that I would get to MoMA

and I would see the Monet work of art yet again.

I just happened to check the date on the back of my framed piece,

wondering if I had recorded a date to remember that day ...

as luck would have it,

I had pasted the museum ticket on the back

dated

3-31-1997

it was a little dusty, but still there!

So this time I had Returned to Monet

almost 17 years to the day

3-28-2014

on a very rainy Thursday afternoon,

alone and eager to see the exhibit.

I will never forget how I felt

entering the same room

all these many years later

I was filled with emotion

and immediately felt tears falling down my cheek

It was as if it were waiting for me to return

after all these years!

The subtle beauty I saw in these large canvases,

the muted colors, the textured paints,

it was as if Monet were present in the room,

for I could feel his presence!

I took many pictures, 

including "selfies" along the way

and so many like this,

capturing the texture and colors

that Monet created with

I took the time to write down all that I saw,

recording all of the emotions in my journal,

and of course

being the Poet that I am

wrote a poem

entitled

"Return to Monet"

(I knew the title before I ever left home)

It was an amazing afternoon,

one I will never forget.

How extraordinary a feeling

to return to a place

you know you have been before

so long ago

yet

it was as though

no time had gone by . . .

How I love the artwork

of

Claude Monet,

his work speaks to my heart,

this encounter

touched my creative soul!

So another MoMA ticket

is placed beside the original

always a reminder,

that I had returned

once more to Monet.

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