SCENE WITH BIRCHES

 

Tom Thomson was here

moving alone through these woods

rucksack on his back

images forming behind his eyes

seeing this the way he or Harris or Varley did

not the way you and I do.

 

Tom Thomson was here

stepping back for perspective

seeking the one vantage point

from which he could see the composition

in his abstract mind

Ansel Adams said it’s all about knowing where to stand:

where to place the tripod, or the easel.

 

Tom Thomson was here

he sat quietly on his canvas stool

sorting tubes and brushes and knives.

He closed his eyes for darkness

then opened them for light

to see the vision fresh

new-made in front of him

needing only his inner sight

and his guided hand

to make it appear on the board

interpreted.

 

Tom Thomson was here

spending the day alone

letting the shadows drift

making the birches live

with sure, unhurried strokes

portraying the scene

as no one had ever seen it before.

 

Tom Thomson was here

alone.

 

A few days later

his body was found in Canoe Lake.

 

 

                                                     © John Ambury, 2012. All rights reserved.

                                                                       (Image © Derik Hawley, 2012.)