Matisse: the Terrace St. Tropez, by Steve Deutsch

The Terrace St. Tropez, by Henri Matisse (France), 1904.

Matisse: the Terrace St. Tropez

Here in Saint Tropez,
colours melt
in the Mediterranean sun.
Frontiers vanish
and I am left with an impression,
as vague and wondrous
as the the touch of an ancient memory,
half forgotten, 
of sea and sand 
and indiscriminate joy.

Here on my terrace,
the shadings shift so swiftly
with the slant of light,
it is as if time itself
has had a hand in mixing
my poor palette.
I spend my days in gifted sight
and paint the blur of hue and time,
as freely as the gulls will
skate upon the vast horizon
of endless sea and endless sky.

Steve Deutsch

Steve Deutsch, a semi-retired practitioner of the fluid mechanics of mechanical hearts and heart valves, lives with his wife Karen--a visual artist, in State College, PA.  Steve writes poetry, short fiction and the blog: [email protected].  His most recent publications have been in Eclectica Magazine, The Ekphrastic Review, New Verse News, Silver Birch Press, Misfit Magazine and One-sentence poems. As an adult, Steve had the good fortune to sit in on two poetry classes taught by first class poets and teachers.  He has been writing poetry ever since.