Vincent Van Gogh 92 - Theo Advises & Assures Vincent Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

Vincent spent the whole morning and noon in the city of Paris,
Walking along the boulevard, passing the famed opera,
Into the bridge over the seine river, then further downwards,
Almost into the other side of the city. He walked recklessly,
A long way and had a tough time finding his way back.
When Vincent reached his house in Rue Laval, Montmartre,
He pulled out his bundle of paintings, scattered them on the floor.
He stared at his paintings with a gnawing ache in his heart.

As Vincent gazed at his paintings,
He found them dark, heavy, lifeless and ancient.
To think, he had been painting so many years
Without a clue of the new trend in paintings.
Strong emotions gripped him as he sat in repentance.
He felt sad and numbed. When Theo came home,
Vincent asked him: 'Theo, why didn't you tell me?
You've let me waste six long years.'

Brother Theo replied: 'Waste them? Nonsense!
You've worked out your craft for yourself.
You paint like Vincent van Gogh, and nobody else
In the world. If you had come here before
You crystallized your own particular expression,
Paris would have moulded you to suit itself.'
Vincent cried out: 'What am I to do? Look at this junk!
It's all dead, Theo. And worthless! '

'You ask me what you are to do?
I'll tell you! ' Replied Theo.
‘You are to learn about light and colour from
The Impressionists. That much you can borrow from them.
But nothing more. You must not imitate.
You must not get swamped. Don't let Paris submerge you.
'Vincent cried out, Again in desperation: 'But Theo,
I must learn everything all over. Everything I do is wrong.'

A Biographical Poem