Outrenoir, by Eric Steineger

Outrenoir

It’s November and Pierre Soulages has passed.
I’m no authority on Soulages or the colour black,
but I’m into black’s versatility, how he committed
to black. Found light leaping from black—like
finally exiting the movie. How black can be snow
or slats so dark the black takes over. Soulages,
who challenged the connotation of black and
the man in black like an ambassador of night,
walking to his canvas with a smile, sensing
blackout. His oeuvre in motion, catching
glints of dark blue, black as a glacier.

Eric Steineger

Eric (Charles) Steineger teaches English at East Nashville Magnet High School. For ten years, he was the Senior Poetry Editor of The Citron Review, and his work has been featured in Waxwing, The Los Angeles Review, Rattle: The Poets Respond, The Night Heron Barks, and other places. He lives in Nashville with his daughter.