Wednesday, April 2, 2014

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 
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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