Painting A Sunset Poem by Jean Bernard Parr

I have to see it
the way someone
from Mars would see it
that means
stripping out
everything that's twee
the foreground figures;
they are the first
to go, and further,
discard that
overgrown barn
and while painting
I'm hating Ruskin
the British managed
to make picturesque
colonial murder, snobby
Merchant Ivory movies
spring to mind
excuse me there are
ladies present
the sepoys have Cawnpore!
and all that that
entails, we will blow
their entrails
from the mouths of guns
then do a good job
of fighting the Hun
stay tight lipped
you top hatted ministers
black coated, sinister
don't say sorry
to all those mothers
so many brothers dead
someone has to see
when there is war
between you and me
the sunset stays the same
and isn't it the case
your Martian would observe
(reporting back to base)
that on his palette
you will always find some red