Réne Margitte’s canvas, perhaps unwittingly,
illustrates the patriarchal paradigm in 1953.
He paints more than one-hundred men
floating down from the sky.
Every one the same staid figure.
Black topcoats, black bowler hats
atop staid unfeeling faces.
It’s a dull world of sameness
that lulls the joy out of life.
1964, a new canvas came to light
danced and sung on the silver screen.
All those dull men replaced
by one Mary Poppins floating in,
seemingly from the same sky.
Bert, the chimney sweeper,
may have been her pal,
but she was the change agent,
intelligent, talented, and kind.
One woman’s abilities, her smile,
her laughter, and creativity
reached thousands that year,
and still today, brings joy.
Time to repaint Margitte’s canvas,
create a paradigm shift.
Time to take up our own brush,
claim our rights, our bodies,
say enough is enough.
Golconda by Réne Margitte. Oil on canvas: 1953.
Poem created for Tuesday’s Poetics at dVerse, the virtual pub for poets around the globe. Melissa is host and introduces us to the surrealist painter, Margitte. She asks us to consider one of several paintings she provides, and write about what we see and what we don’t see…to use the image as inspiration. I must admit, as soon as I saw this painting, I thought of Mary Poppins! And then, the poem wrote itself.
lillian the home poet 
That’s a great analogy, Lillian. Imagine them all with brollies and bags.
A great take on the painting.
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Wonderful! I bet there is a picture somewhere with one hundred Mary Poppins floating down from the sky.
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Yes. Yes. Yes. How clever of you to make the case ~~~ in poetry form.
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Male Mary Poppins, and so many of them! I hope they’re as good as the original, the world is in need of this kind of supercalifragilistic air force!
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Yes Lillian. Time to change the paradigm and reframe the narrative. Enough is enough.
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The sameness of the painting is so obvious, and the reflection on Mary Poppins is great to show an alternative… (and that you really need an umbrella)
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Love your take, Lillian! I would say a resounding YES!
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Such an interesting take on the prompt and painting, Lillian. Now you’ll have me thinking of Mary Poppins every time I look at it.
I definitely agree with the sentiment of reclaiming our bodies and rights (maybe not as nannies, though). 😉
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