LETTER TO ADELINE

LETTER TO ADELINE

I LEFT YOUR PORTRAIT HANGING IN THE HALL
IT IS COMPLETE AND I AM EMPTY
I PAINTED YOU OLDER THAN YOU ARE
A KIND OF WISH

I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR BEING KIND
FOR SITTING ON THE PORCH AT SUNSET
AND IDLE TALK

YOU MADE ME LAUGH

SOMEHOW WHEN YOU WERE NEAR
THE SHADOWS DIDN'T THREATEN
AND I COULD PAINT RENEWED
OFTEN I PAINT WANTING LOVE
SEEKING LOVE
BURNING MYSELF OUT IN THE EFFORT
ENDING WITH PAINTING
AND NO ONE TO SHOW IT TO
ENDING WITH A PAINTING

BUT THESE LAST WEEKS HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT
THERE HAS BEEN A CALMNESS IN ME
AND I THANK YOU
WHEN I WAS EXCITED ABOUT A PAINTING
YOU WERE EXCITED TOO
I WOULD PAINT HOPING FOR YOUR APPROVAL
IT WAS AS IF YOU STOOD BEHIND ME
SAYING
WELL DONE VINCENT
YOUR SUN IS SO WARM

BUT THE SUN IS SO WARM SO WARM SO WARM
THE TREES BURSTING WITH HEAT WITH HEAT WITH HEAT
THE EARTH IS IN TURMOIL TURMOIL TURMOIL
BLACK AT THE EDGES EDGES EDGES
NIGHT COMING ON NIGHT COMING ON
NIGHT COMING ONCOMING ON COMINGON
COMINGONCOMINGONCOMINGONONONONOOOOON

ADELINE
I AM LEAVING
I MUST GO TO THE HOSPITAL
THE DOCTORS SAY I NEED REST

BUT PLEASE
LISTEN
I AM LUCID NOW

I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH A TENDERNESS
ONE HAS FOR YOUNG BIRDS AND SMALL DEER

YOU HAVE BEEN SAFE PLACE FOR ME IN THE DARK
WHEN NEAR YOU I DO NOT HEAR THE WINDS HOWLING
IMPROBABLE AND IMPOSSIBLE AS IT IS
I LOVE YOU

BUT MY PAINTING SAYS IT BETTER

IT WELL MAY BE THAT I WILL NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN
THAT I WILL GO INTO THE NIGHT
AND LOSE MY WAY
BUT THERE WILL BE EVEN TO THE END
AS THE DARK CONSUMES THE FIRE OF MY BEING
SOMETHING WITHIN ME THAT ALWAYS SINGS


THANK YOU
VINCENT