Garden of the Painter at Saint Clair, 1908
Henri-Edmond Cross (1856 - 1910)

Under the cool blue slats 
of palm trees, a table 
and two empty chairs;
an invitation to come and sit
in this luminous paradise,
perhaps with morning coffee
as the sun squeezes lemon
light through the scaffolding,
Or perhaps with a glass 
of wine in late afternoon 
as grapey shadows
lengthen, stain the ground.
There are purple and yellow
iris in the foreground, colors
laid down in long strokes,
the way the foliage slices
the light.  We’re not there,
of course, but we could be,
even if it’s just the garden
of our dreams.  Here, paint
has stopped time in its blue
and gold tracks. And these
flowers keep unfolding.