A Note to Turner After Seeing The Turner Exhibition

I tried to avoid the darkness.
Even the moon over the Thames
was too gloomy for me.

You did shine a light over Rome
and in the gloaming reflected in the ocean
but I longed for a brush
dipped in lemon or sage
a splatter of carmine, a splinter of pink.

I have seen your paintbox:
those vials of ochre, rust and blue;
all those little twists of skin
containing orange tints;
hints of purple, lavender and lime.

Did no one ever tell you
it was time
to use them?

Judy Dally has been a teacher, and published two books on the profession. She has also been a long-term board member for the SA Writers’ Centre, committee member and co-editor for the Friendly Street Poetry Group, and also seen 27 consecutive years of personal publication in the annual Friendly Street Reader. Her latest poetry book, “Asleep in the Teapot”, released in both print and e-book, can be found here.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.