Observing – Poem by Ali Grimshaw

~ Ali Grimshaw 

And the rhythm continues, yellow round, orange round, red
tiny parts of bright aliveness making up the whole.
Are the boundaries holding us together or separating us by hue? 

Each is playing a part in the view. 
One beside the other, 
next two, in front of, beside. Are we leaning unequally
or holding each other up? 

How far would we need to back up 
before seeing the whole picture? Remember up close
never looks the same as from across the room. 

Squint your eyes a little. Now look again.

Notice how the colors grow toward midnight as it meets in the center. 
Could this be a reminder to see darkness as a place to rest 
maybe even a place of beauty 
instead of fighting our way to where we think we belong?

© Ali Grimshaw 2024

You are invited to dVerse Poets’ Pub to write something beautiful in response to this artwork by Alma Thomas, The Eclipse (1970). Join in the fun HERE. Thank you, Melissa, for getting me writing today. It felt like releasing a big sigh and the air returned to fill my lungs without effort.

21 thoughts on “Observing – Poem by Ali Grimshaw”

  1. Fantastic poem, Ali 🙂 It made me think about how looking at the bigger picture will give you a new perspective. But, if you’re like me, a detail-oriented person, seeing the bigger picture might not come easily to you. When we are focused on all of the small details, it’s easy to lose focus. Even for people who it may come naturally to, sometimes we still lose the ability to step back and see where we are going, what we are doing, and why due to the ebb and flow of regular life. Thanks for sharing 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Aiva,
      It makes me smile to read your reflection. Perspecitive is very powerful. It is easy to get in a rut and forget there are other ways of seeing circumstances. It is one of the things I appreciate about writing with others. I always gain new perspectives.
      Wishing you a day of beauty.
      Ali

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  2. What a lovely poem, Ali. ‘Remember up close never looks the same as from across the room.’ I love this line. It makes me think about how there are different perspectives, and sometimes we have to make the effort and maybe even step out of our comfort zone to engage with other perspectives. Observing can be challenging but it opens up our world.

    I also like how you ended your poem, ‘instead of fighting our way to where we think we belong?’ Too often we want to squeeze ourselves into a place or space where we think we belong. If we can all share our colours and our authentic selves to make this world a more beautiful place 😊❤

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    1. Mabel,
      Stepping out of our comfort zone to experience new perspectives is how we grow. I also see it as an act of love. When I am seeking to understand another’s perspective and trying to put myself in his/her/their shoes it opens a door for me to love that person.
      I truly appreciate your reading and reflections back. It is a gift.

      Be well,
      Ali

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  7. I’m so glad you’re back, Ali, and that you felt able to write to this prompt. I love the way you see the rhythm and the colours in the image. I wondered how it would look in full size and you captured my thoughts in these lines:

    ‘How far would we need to back up
    before seeing the whole picture?’

    and these lines resonate:

    ‘Could this be a reminder to see darkness as a place to rest
    maybe even a place of beauty
    instead of fighting our way to where we think we belong?’

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  8. I am happy to know that it was a release / relief and that you were able to write!

    I enjoyed your exploration of the painting. The longer I look at it, the more I see.
    “Are the boundaries holding us together or separating us by hue?”
    “Are we leaning unequally or holding each other up?”

    I guess it depends on how we look at it!❤️

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