An Afternoon at the Grand Jetty ( Seurat )

 The women hold parasols
to shade themselves
from the diamond rain of sun light
and men in dark coats
and top hats stand by upright.
The park bathes in the radiance –
small particles
of color buzzing with a charged light.

The trees bend under
their verdant haze
of leaves tinged with yellow
and children recline
in the vibrant, green shadows.
The people stroll over the lawn,
talking idly –
resplendent in their Sunday clothes.

The hour is distilled by the painter
to the facets of its hues,
under a sky of cerulean blue.

A woman in a hoop skirt
with a monkey
looks toward the blue river
and the energy
of diaphanous water.
She gazes out at reflections
of the sail boats
pouring like milk on the liquid mirror.

The hour is distilled by the painter
to the facets of its hues
under a sky of cerulean blue.