Vincent Van Gogh 49 - Theo Nurses Vincent Back To Health Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

The presence of Theo near his bed and around him,
Bustling with activity of preparing a meal for him,
With eggs, fresh bread, butter, milk, cheese, beans
And steaming coffee lifted up Vincent's spirits tremendously.
Vincent smiled, felt happy after many unhappy months,
When the meal was ready, Theo picked up a spoon
And fed Vincent like a little child. Theo regretted that
He never knew of his brother's state of despondence.

Vincent slept peacefully after his meal, until dusk.
When he woke up, he felt rejuvenated.
He saw his brother seated by the window,
Looking carefully at all his paintings.
When Theo saw his brother awake, he jumped up.
He began to make a hot meal of steak and potatoes.
When the meal was ready, Theo had another special task
Of heating water and cleaning his brother thoroughly.

Theo washed his brother's face, neck, ears, shaved off
His beard which had spread like a wild fire on his face,
Combed his hair neatly, and put on a new shirt.
"Now, you look like a Van Gogh " exclaimed Theo, with joy.
The brothers proceeded to have a hearty meal together.
After the meal, Theo loaded Vincent's pipe with tobacco from Paris.
‘Smoke up' he said. ‘Real tobacco will do you more good than harm.'
The brothers sat together, spent the evening with calm serenity.

Here is a story of true brotherhood and pure bonding.
Theo was only twenty-three years old, but unlike Vincent,
Was a successful art dealer in Paris. He dressed well with taste.
He had inherited the broad Van Gogh forehead
With dark hair and delicate features. Most importantly,
Theo loved his brother Vincent more than anyone else in this world.
It was Vincent who had made his childhood sweet and memorable.
He realized that life without Vincent would never be a good life at all.

A Biographical Poem