John William Waterhouse (some thoughts on how he might have felt about what he did)L

Nino was his nickname
and his early years he spent
in Rome, with all its classic culture
of which he was content
its pillars and its great facade’s
its portico’s, its art
all those splendid offerings
had become part of his heart

the romance was forthcoming
accompanied by it all
ancient Rome had appealed to him
since he began to crawl
his parents both were painters
so it was in his blood
though so young, still felt it
and such wonderment
did flood

and at 5 he did remember
they travelled to a place
called London, at that time
such sadness, showed upon his face
But London was a metropolis
and South Kensington, in its prime
The Victoria and Albert Museum
was where he would spend some time

For he studied many pictures
depicting Rome, and he
felt he’d keep those images
throughout eternity
he loved those swirling dresses
that clung to the female form
the pastel shades of morning
the rapturous winds so warm

he enjoyed the classic beauty
contained in a women’s smile
and began to capture every facet
and of course their beguiling style
from his perspective women’s
youthful sweet desire
pouting lips and soft white necks
of such images, who could not tire

he loved them and he studied them
the musculature, the way
that garments hung
and the radiance and the sensuous
array
of gifts they had on offer
for the eye of earnest gaze
the radiance they proffered
would be with him
all his days

he began to talk to women
at school he did apply
charm and understanding
sharing knowledge, now
was why
he began to learn his craft there
and those images of Rome
and the splendid architecture
that had been around his home

and now those lovely ladies
from London that he met
he would paint in classic settings
so he, ne’er would, ever forget
he became aware of a wondrous
water spirit
who married the knight
Huldebrand, to gain
a soul,
For him it just was right

it was, an early German
Romance and she carried her deportment
and her role
as such into his realms, his heart
his everything his soul

her golden tresses salvaged
a wonderful desire
to just bring her
to life
this sweet embodiment
of womanhood
with the spirit world
that emphasised her fire

“Undine” for him seemed everything
ringlets in her hair
rang out and curled
an outpouring of pleasure
she was rare

the fountain where she stood
clad in calming white for she
was everything to everyone
And everyone and he
so bright
and so mystical
and so of course
for her to be
captured on a canvas
for all eternity

her depth and sensuous quality
it so attracted him
the way she smiled
she left him feeling tranquil honestly
peaceful, very peaceful really deep inside
just gazing and just feeling
her water spirit charm
with or without a soul
she could not hide

I guess in many ways Undine
was a one off
she looked and made him
feel so resolute
so truly bound up in her
very being
Undine was clearly getting to
the root

of every kind of deepening
emotion
that surfaced around that time
and just made him
realise that she was really part of him
except of course, with some
driven energy
though with the air she breathed
they could be free

inseparable together such
emotions ratified
Undine was the ultimate soul mate
she
on the mortal plain he strayed
but not in vain
revealing in a way
his destiny

Feelings welled up in him
of the loss that lover’s feel
for each other
when their parting
to what great depths they reveal

a sadness, a deliberate suppressing
of desire
the loss of someone close
could prove just frantic
even dire

gone but not forgotten
a young woman’s retrospective
on life and possibly what had
gone on before
the joy of vast creation
a store house of elation
a dream perhaps to get him back
for sure

standing by his mausoleum
clad in brown she thinks
meditation might be worth a shot
and all this links
her very handsome lover
to perfect harmony
lying in his cold dark place
which no longer could she be

with him for it was over
in a second he had died
gone but not forgotten
but now standing beside

a street scene out in Cairo
the Unwelcome, Companion
a rich red bodice
a pale green sash but she
is reticent about what she is doing
but a beautiful brunette as we can see

again what I have captured
is really how she dresses
the colours compensate
and give her style
she’s dignified about her stance
and position
and this comes through
if you just look for a while

Miranda sits
a contemplating
quietly by the sea
her lover lives beyond the waves
far away he be
she wonders as her heart
is breaking
how he is and why
she has to feel their
anguish
and underneath the sky

the great divide approaches
its a chasm in her soul
and there she sits
with such emotion
now beyond, control
and look at her
the way her clothes hang
she’s unaware of style
she’s open
she’s lost interest
Just dreaming for a while

her only care now seems
to get beyond the sea and sky
and quiet those inner screams

The point that I have tried to make
is why he needed to
Bring these wondrous women
to the forefront
and to do

all of them a service
for all of them once gave
immense worth to the world about them
and my dears did save

him, to have that freedom
to depict these valiant souls
going through their lives
performing lengthy roles

suffering and worrying
and being joyful through
their tragedies
their happiness
when all of us have these too

in 1883 he married Esther
the daughter of a schoolmaster
and she
was also a most
accomplished painter
so they had a lot in common
and could see

a way ahead together
she would study flowers
and had a mindful tender
eye
capturing their beauty
forever
which her craft did faithfully under
lie

they did have 2 sweet children
but very tragically
they lost them both
in childhood which hurt
them desperately

to lose one’s offspring cheaply
can so destroy those who
experience the horror
but somehow they got through

you never can forget this
its with you till the end
who are we to understand
That their hearts would never mend

Later cancer took hold of him
and despite the will to fight
to keep ahead and paint
and live in fact
despite
his might

he lost the battle
and
closed his eyes
and drifted
off
and left
his dear wife to survive him
Who remained sad and bereft