gershon hepner Poems

Like daytime that appears less lively
than the night which is more brightly colored,
according to Van Gogh, a girl who's wifely,
appearing unattractive to a dullard,
...

Dance Hall in Arles and Night Café
reject and celebrate the dark,
while Starry Night
across the Rhone refutes the day,
...

On Gauguin's chair, a candle and some books
replace the artist whom he can't recapture.
His absence fills the far from empty nooks
and crannies of his mind, recalling rapture
...

A BIRD PURSUES A BEE
A bird pursues a bee and kisses her,
flight of fancy by Miró. Unprimed
the canvas kisses are a cat whose purr
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Within a modern Miró minute is
a Dutch interior, man with lute. The tinnitus
disturbs a lovely viewer in the crowd,
who wonders why the world seems always loud.
...

Some chicken, Churchill said, some neck.
It seemed that Britain’s had been wrung,
and after death no chickens peck,
but Britain did, though Hitler flung
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“Does it have a meaning? ”
they ask. He answers them with gall.
“I hope it doesn’t, but it will occur again,
and you will see once more what happened then,
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Mark my words, in case you’re in the dark
about a Jewish artist, known as Marc.
Originally the name was Moishe, but
the change would open doors once shut
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You can’t do kabbalah until
you do your Bible and the Talmud first,
but if of it you get your fill
before you are completely versed
...

Nietzsche said that life is not an endpoint
but a bridge.
Narrow bridge, said Nahman, mind-bend point.
I say ridge
...