Gerard Erley

landscape paintings

 

             --Gerard Erley, Night Pearl (2008)

 

 

Night Pearl

 

The sky was one kind of blue, dark and royal,

and the clouds were another, turquoise,

and the moon hung, yes, like a pearl in the sky,

and never did I see this scene with you, never

did we stand together at night under such a sky.

 

But there it is, the truth of it, revealed: white

and round, luminous, easy to see, easy to say.

This is the myth of love, the beautiful parting

of turquoise clouds, the truth of love exposed.

You will ache when finally you see this.

 

You will howl like a dog or a wolf, or coyote,

like a baby for milk, howl like a man who has lost

mother and father, howl like a boy who has broken

his balsa wood plane, howl like a lover under

the moon, pearl of the night, standing alone.

 

                                                                    --Kathleen Kirk

Scroll down for a wonderful poem by Kathleen Kirk, who I met at the opening of my show “After hours: Nocturnal Landscape Paintings” at McLean County Arts Center.  She based it on the following painting.  What a beautiful gift!  Thank you, Kathleen.