The Dance

After brooding over this Matisse painting for a good deal of time in the Smithsonian Gallery in Washington D.C, and while attending an erudite talk in one of the halls, I had this vision!

photocredit: Pexels

The stick figures I drew on the margins of my book,

as I sat listening to an intricate argument

on whether Matisse’s Dance was a rejoinder to Picasso,

start squirming as I watch them in the mid day stupor

and imperceptibly, but with manifest intent

start crawling towards the centre of the sheet;

hands searching for each other’s hand

letting go and grabbing until firmly held;

a line first, slowly winding up the sheet

turning left and slowly moving down, closing the circle

the leading figure clasping the last hand,

the circle now closes and the dance begins.