Cathedral of the Poor

Gaudi watches his father tend bees,
draws the shape of hives,
the pillars of Sagrada Familia

smoke pours
from a wooden box, his father rises

around his neck are baubles
seeds from the magnolia tree

Is there any better structure
than the trunk
of a human skeleton ?

But look
here is the four armed cross
the breath of the glassblower,
the ceramicist, ironmonger

Here is work, long as the prayers
of a Bavarian priest

Here are the trees that grow in the nave
the helicoid columns
the bees in his father’s hair
.

© Frankie McMillan

Reproduced here with permission.

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This week, as part of the ‘poetry in response to a work of art’ (aka ‘ekphrastic) Tuesday series, I am delighted to welcome fellow Christchurch poet, Frankie McMillan. For more information on the image, click here on Sagrada Familia.

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Poet’s Note From Frankie McMillan:

In July 2011 my partner and I travelled around Spain, spending several days in Barcelona, home of Gaudi’s famous architecture. My mother had recently died (she had never travelled far) and in some funny way I became her eyes; she too had come along for the ride. The ‘ wooden box’ and the ‘ skeleton’ are attributed to Gaudi’s father, but of course reflect my own concerns.

I was enthralled by the Sagrada Familia –  Gaudi’s vision, his use of intricate organic forms (many of which reference the beehive structure) the soaring spires, the inclusion  of glass and metal work, and overall the sheer energetic excess of the architecture, left me feeling like an awestruck kid: ‘But look.’   The end line, ‘the bees in his father’s hair’ point to the inherent difficulties of the parent/child relationship.

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About The Poet:

Frankie McMillan is a short story writer and poet. Her short story collection, ‘The Bag Lady’s Picnic and other stories’ was published by Shoal Bay Press. In 2005 she was awarded the CNZ Todd Bursary. In 2008 and 2009 her work was selected for Best NZ Fiction anthologies.  Many of her stories have also been broadcast on radio.

Her poetry has been published widely in NZ and overseas. Her book, ‘Dressing for the Cannibals’  (Sudden Valley Press) was published in 2009 and in that same year she won the NZ Poetry Society International competition. This year she will be one of the judges.

Frankie currently teaches at the Hagley Writers’ Institute in Christchurch.

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To read the featured poem on the Tuesday Poem Hub and other great poems from fellow Tuesday poets from around the world, click here or on the Quill icon in the sidebar.