Vincent Van Gogh 50 - Goodbye To Borinage Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

After nursing Vincent back to health,
Theo decided to take Vincent back to their home in Etten.
Vincent wondered what good that would be?
His whole family looked at him with complete distrust,
As a good for nothing fellow,
Incapable of doing anything worthwhile in life.
He was unemployed for the last five years.
All he did was reading books and looking at pictures.
His stay in Borinage with the miners, though a charitable Venture, had completely led him to a pitiable state of starvation.

As the two brothers talked of the current situation, problems,
Vincent opened his heart out to his brother Theo:
"I am a man of passions, capable of doing foolish things.
I speak and act too quickly when it would have been better
To wait patiently. This being the case, must I consider myself
A dangerous man, incapable of doing anything? I do not think so.
I have an irresistible passion for pictures and books,
And I want continually to instruct myself,
Just as I want to eat my bread.
You will certainly understand that Theo."

Only one man in the whole world understood Vincent.
And that was his younger brother Theo.
The role was always reversed. Theo, the protector, saviour,
While Vincent was like a little child, expressing his fears,
Worries, anxieties; pouring out his troubled and turbulent thoughts to his brother.Theo's present role was to rescue his brother from this hell. Vincent sprang up, as he listened to the Reassuring words of Theo. Vincent felt happy and motivated.
In no time, they packed up and boarded a train back home,
Never, ever to return to Borinage again. It was a final goodbye!