Nude Seated By The Window Poem by Robert Charles Howard

A luminous piece. Expressed with the elegance and grace which is characteristic of all of your work. Happy new year, my poet friend. Warm regards, , Sandra

It is such a joy to read your reflective and finely crafted thoughts about the 'nude' of your painting. Here in Australia in recent times we have been bombarded by ridiculous assertions of censorship from those conservative philistines (including I am sad to say, our Prime Minister) who are affronted by certain images offered by an exceptional photographer who had the audacity to use a pre-pubescent female as his subject. In contrast, you offer the reader a light-hearted reaction to nudity (Rubenesque, a word my mother often coined) and an understated and very effective description of a work that I intend to google immediately. Your words never fail to charm, Robert. 'Come to borrow Ruza’s eyes' is particularly noteworthy. Love, Allie ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Her thoughts one ponders of a woman who sits nude for what curves does she gives the artist to sketch…..enjoyed the read. Thank you for sharing your wonderful piece with us. Scott

Evidently the woman is not the only invitation for contemplation. The open window, the sunlit room are also very inviting. But she is a worthy model instilling such a wealth of comtemplative thought and, Robert, your poem, well thought out and composed, adds to the enjoyment. Poetry can be such fun. Here is the explanation of David Lehman, Series Editor, who chose the cover art for the book: The cover art for The Best American Poetry 2008 is Ruza Bagaric's Untitled painting of a nude young woman looking out the window. It seems to me that the agent of beauty can also be the object of aesthetic contemplation. The subject of this painting identifies the book's reader in an ideally contemplative state: quiet, alone, stripped of adornment (except for the simple functional barrette in her hair) . She is an elegant model of a model, her gaze directed outward. At the same time, the nude can serve as a figure for beauty and for poetry itself. I know next to nothing about the artist. The painting dates from 1996.