A Flower Is Relatively Small Poem by Alexandre Nodopaka

A Flower Is Relatively Small
Georgia O'Keeffe, Artist & now Poetess
Poem based on the artist writing.

Everyone has many associations
with a flower
- the idea of flowers.

Always reminds me
of the intimate insides
of a woman.

You put out your hand
to touch the flower
- lean forward to smell it
- maybe touch it with your lips
almost without thinking
- or take it
for pleasure.

Always reminds me
of the intimate insides
of a woman.

Still
- in a way
- nobody sees a flower
- really
- it is so small
- we haven't time
- and to see takes time,
like to have a friend takes time.

Always reminds me
of the intimate insides
of a woman.

If I could paint the flower
exactly as I see it
no one would see
what I see
because I would paint it
small like the flower is small.

Always reminds me
of the intimate insides
of a woman.

So I said to myself
- I'll paint what I see
- what the flower is to me
but I'll paint it big
and they will be surprised
into taking time to look at it
- I will make even busy New-Yorkers
take time to see what I see of flowers.

Always reminds me
of the intimate insides
of a woman.

Well
- I made you take time to look
at what I saw and when you took time
to really notice my flower,
you hung all your own associations
with flowers on my flower
and you write about my flower
as if I think and see
what you think and see
of the flower
- and I don't.