Cézanne’s skull is the first fruit of time
the apples and pears skulls too and not seed
laid out on the table for the mime
of dead instants - while the eye proceeds
to see by different moments - take over
the tangent senses of mouth and hand -
eventually the thunderstruck rover
is the solid sun in the see-through land
and colours are stops none are for cooking
in this drama - nor is time graded
with the result that looking at looking
without a grin is warm and shaded
the eyes of heated flies see by facets -
these heads light on time cleared out and tacit
Oxford
15 December 2018
What can I really say about Paul Cézanne (1839 - 1906) ? He died after being caught by a thunderstorm out in a field where he was working, and being rescued by a passing driver.
I referring to his still lifes with skulls.