What's going on, Albuquerque?

The Sunday Poem: Elaine Schwartz... El Flautista

Some of the most memorable poems in the English language have been written about paintings. A painting by Remedios Varo is the subject of Elaine Schwartz's poem by the same name, El Flautista. Varo, whose paintings are instantly recognizable and have inspired even a work by pop singer Madonna, has her own incredible story. Elaine Schwartz shows a lot of fine brushwork in this dreamy piece.

The Flautist

(After El Flautista, Remedios Varo, 1955)

Eyes closed

mask studded with ocean pearls

the flautist leans against gray granite

her music soft as sighs

raucous as humanity’s lies worries

the world’s unsettled breath

as shards rain upon the earth

scatter at her feet fragments filled

with skeletal fish splinter trilobites tumble

upon thirsty soil and faceless shards

mark sedimentary time

and the flautist plays

and hubris flows into the dark

oily miasma of our own making

--Elaine Schwartz

Poetry submissions are encouraged. Email theditchrider@gmail.com.

0 members like this

Comment by Peggy Dobreer on April 17, 2011 at 8:28am: Elaine,

Very mysterious and memorable piece. So glad to have met you. I hope you'll be sending some writing from the workshop. The pieces gathering so far are strong. All the very best. Peggy

Comment by Margaret Randall on April 17, 2011 at 8:51am: This is a beautiful poem, Elaine. Remedios Varo was such a mysterious and inspiring figure, especially at a time when women artists literally had to risk being judged mentally ill to be able to do their work. In this poem I can also hear the notes of Daniel's flute... it feels as if you come to your subject from many rich angles.

Comment by Barelas Babe on April 17, 2011 at 2:19pm: There is music and meditation in this marvelous poem - I love the earthy references of trilobites tumbling, shards raining, and sedimentary time. Thank you for introducing me to Remedios Varo.

Comment by Dee Cohen on April 18, 2011 at 9:11am: What a lovely poem Elaine. You've captured the essence of the musician and the anxiety of the times. Good to see your work here. Best, Dee

Comment by Stewart Warren on April 18, 2011 at 4:19pm: " ...humanity’s lies .../ the world’s unsettled breath." Truth in music.

I, too, appreciate being introduced to Varo.

Comment by jeff on April 18, 2011 at 5:30pm: so....how do we know to interpret the shards as raining and not being raised by El Flautista?

my reading of the painting is one of assembly, not dis-assembly.