Lowry's Colours, by Frances Owen

Man Lying on a Wall, by L.S. Lowry (UK) 1957

Lowry's Colours 

This man, I thought, was not ill, only weary,
seeking the warm, friendly wall to support his rest,
a place to pause in the flurry of the day
amid the smoking chimneys
 
He was but one of the many exhausted workers 
that captured my attention
with their drab poverty and pale pinched faces
as they marched together,
toiled in the elemental mills, 
took their leisure in the parks
 
To honour me for showing him
and all the others to the world
you have built an edifice in my name 
on the docks, by the mighty Ship Canal
 
Oh Manchester, Manchester
I thought you would have understood 
it was the colour of the brick that I loved
slick with the sheen of rain, dappled by cloudy skies.
Ivory black, vermillion, Prussian blue, yellow ochre, flake white 
I needed only my five colours to paint your industrial scenes

I never sought an honour in my lifetime
only praise from my painting peers
now you have put my name on this
huge and burnished building
all silvered steel and glittering glass
for which there are no colours in my palette

Frances Owen

Frances Owen lives in Salisbury, England. Now retired from a career in public health, she writes poems about the places she has lived in Africa as well as about health issues, social justice and inequality. Having had a number of academic papers published, she is now working on her first poetry pamphlet and a memoir. She workshops her poetry with a number of writing groups.  A member of Lapidus, she facilitates Writing for Wellbeing Groups with the WEA, at her local doctors' surgery and for Wiltshire and Salisbury Museums.