van Gogh, the Orient: A Lament by Leurindal, literature
Literature
van Gogh, the Orient: A Lament
When van Gogh lost his soul
to Japonisme,
'twas no bushy-eyed barbarian
babbling about bushido
that enthralled him, but
a docile geisha's pallid wrist,
pouring barbiturates
in his whisky
a dominatrix
of cherry blossom
in his soul.
No wonder
when van Gogh lost his mind
to a gunshot,
'twas no starry-eyed samurai
supplicating for seppuku
that pulled the trigger, but
a dying puppy's whimper,
storms of samsara hanging
by a whisker
a decussation
of dead sunflowers
in his mind.