Vincent Van Gogh 82 - Vincent Back In Brabant Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

Once again, Vincent was back home with his family,
In the familiar surroundings of Brabant,
In the vicarage of Neunen, a two storeyed stone house,
Where the Van Gogh family lived peacefully.
The backyard of the vicarage had a garden
With flowers, hedges, elm, oak trees and a pond,
A place that was his home from his birth, childhood,
And a countryside that he loved and cherished.

First few days of the return of their eldest son
Everything seemed quiet and harmonious.
Vincent did nothing except to eat, sleep a great deal,
After the ordeal of debt and starvation in The Hague.
Vincent's parents were kind, generous and caring.
The siblings were friendly, cautious and gentle with Vincent
In the evenings, Vincent enjoyed going for a walk
Along his native, favourite, beautiful countryside.

When Vincent regained his health and spirit,
He noticed that he was not comfortable with his family,
Their thoughts were opposed and of different wavelength,
Vincent hardly spoke and sat in silence during meals.
Vincent's sister Elizabeth hated him and thought him to be an eccentric,
While sister Willemien liked him but considered him as a big bore.
There was no exchange of words with his youngest brother Cor,
But later, the two brothers became friends and bonded together.

Vincent loved the rural life of Brabant.
He found the weavers and spinners to be fascinating.
All he wanted was to paint these simple souls while they worked.
Soon, Vincent became friends with the weavers.
Everyday, he visited their thatched huts made of straw and clay.
They did not mind Vincent painting them while they spun their yarn.
Vincent found it delightful to spend time with the weavers and peasants.
He always took gifts for the kids and eldest members of the family.

Vincent was a painter with a heart of pure empathy.
He saw God in the heart each of the weaver and peasant.
The weavers lived a simple life and toiled hard each day,
Carrying forward the skill and effort of their ancestors.
When he painted these weavers and spinners,
He introduced bright colours like the cobalt blue,
That brought out the cheer and contentment of the weavers,
The bronzed, golden tone of the women, with sun kissed faces.

A Biographical Poem