PRIMITIVE REALLY... (My poem about the paintings of Alfred Wallis, St Ives artist...)

 Primitive Really…

(Alfred Wallis, St Ives artist…)

Another cardboard box.

Pull it open.

Utilise it. 

Daub it quickly.

Ship’s paint applied.

Greys and darker for an engulfing ocean.

Dull masses, maybe,

As outcrop rocks.

Another featured lugger.

Centre it. Recall.

Maximise it. 

Infill it quickly.

Dark paint supplied.

Black and angles for the enclosing jetties.

Dull slab, maybe, 

For Mount’s vigour.

Another boat perhaps.

Angle it so.

Marginalise it.

Brush it quickly.

Black paint deployed.

Whites and lines for the sails and houses.

Brown symbols, maybe, 

Like aerial maps…

Pete Ray

I looked at Alfred Wallis’ paintings and really liked them…

Interesting that some symbols he used looked like those on maps...