NICE TRY by WILLIAM BENJAMIN BREWER

                             
                 

If you have ever put your brush
Up to a canvas well-toned blank
Which you had felt for sure
Was meant to be the cradle
Of a timeless masterpiece,
And if you then have failed,
If brain cells went all askew,
Antagonistic to your concept
Which you then lost as enterprise;
If cool and warm and dark and light
And composition deep heroic
All have fled
And merged in grey and mass confusion,
Then I pray:
      Condemn you not!
You tried something sublime,
You sought among the stars,
And only Don Quixote's dark enchanters
Blocked your astral way.
       So though your countenance like his be sad,
Take heart in bittersweet elation
You had willingness
To serve as medium for divinity's way to earth.
       Empty vessels are you, yes, but one disposed.
Disposed? No, more!
Desirous, burning, avid praying, lustful craving,
Living to contain a drop of blood from God.

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This is another poem in the treasure book of poems Ben left for us. I particularly love this one. Love, annie

old7lady9blogger80@gmail.com
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SHINA NO YORU...a song WILLIAM BENJAMIN BREWER LEARNED IN KOREA

                   

             

Reclining once on distant cot
I put to lips a paper-edge
And whistled up all wistfully 
A song.
In that far land I'd lately heard,
     Upon which passing by and hearing,
Curious mawarisan
Came to see what strange gaijin
Knew as I Shina no Yoru too,
And whistled it with so much feeling,
Strange, I guess, in all Amerikajn.
     Noting him, I spoke,
He bowed, we smiled, he then walked on.
And never to this day have we
Seen one the other more.
     Of no import this brief encounter,
Save for me, for I was there.
And often I am led to think:
Across the sea and aged just like me,
Retired mawarisan may hear that tune
And may perhaps recall a gaijin
And that moment his and mine.

"Shina no Yoru" song "China Nights."
mawarisan: patrolman
Amerikajin and gaijin: American

The time Ben spent in Korea was very important to him: 1952-1954. I only met him about 6 mos after he came home. But he spoke often of Korea and taught me this song.
I am sure you will love this sweet poem about a sweet boy who loved the song: SHINA NO YORU

I will from time to time share more of Ben's poems with you.
annie in memphis
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STILL LIFE by WILLIAM BENJAMIN BREWER 1933-2012

Anytime there were fresh flowers in the house, they would disappear into the room where Ben painted. I had just picked these daffodils from our yard and straightaway Ben put them in a still life.
I am blessed to have beautiful paintings surrounding us. His mother made the quilt/throw lying on the table to the right. And the orange?
He loved to put fresh fruit in a still life too. I am thinking the keys were symbolic also, but he never revealed the meaning.



Ben and Ann Brewer were married 55 years. He did the pastel of me when I was in my mid thirties. I always thought Ben was more handsome than the way he painted himself.

Another memory of a widow. Love, annie in memphis