Thursday, February 18, 2016

February 18 -- Richard Westland


Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, 1995, by Lucien Freud

BIG SUE TILLEY

Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund
(the historically recognized great psychiatrist, the Grandfather of psychoanalysis)

I only saw his portrait of a fleshy woman because
I was checking the auction price of Michel Compte’s
Nude portrait of a lithesome Carla Bruni
Holding her heart down low
Sold on the same day
At the same auction
 
Lucian got the biggest price
For his immense fleshy lady
More than any live painter had ever received.
What was the purchaser thinking?
 
Was it Oedipal complex,
Or was there beauty here?
Maybe his mother was fat.
My mother was not fat.

What is the appeal?
I wanted, had to have
A copy of that painting
To accompany my Carla picture.

Was it the amazing contrast
Grandpa Freud’s theory that all men want to seduce their mothers,
Or just the reality of this lady
Big Sue Tilley
A British civil servant
Presented against
The dream

Of first lady, Carla Sarkozy…

 
Big Sue Tilley
Richard Westland, a native Londoner, immigrated to America when he was 25 years old. He began writing poetry as a way to put his life story into print. He has published a chapbook "I'm Glad I'm Here", and his memoir, "Breaking the Code of Silence".  Richard lives in Southern California.

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