(For Day 4 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a poem about living with a piece of art, which made me imagine what a blind person might think of a painting on the wall.)

My eyes cannot see; believe me, I’ve tried
To get even traces of color or light.
It’s something so simple for everyone else
But such a high hurdle for me.
There hangs in my bedroom a frame, rather wide;
I walk by and feel it sometimes to my right.
Where others see picture, I know only shape,
Floating before me mysteriously.

They say it’s a seascape and try to describe,
But surely mere words aren’t enough to compare.
The angle, the shadows, the ambient mood –
It’s more than just waves upon sand.
I’ll never quite fathom this image’s vibe,
But I can imagine what’s possibly there.
And maybe reality can’t hold a candle to
What I can see with my mind and my hand.
________________________

MPA rating: Approved (should be PG)

Set in between his more acclaimed roles in Lilies of the Field and In the Heat of the Night, A Patch of Blue is a less famous Sydney Poitier film but yet another thought-provoking showcase of his acting talent, as well as that of Shelley Winters and young ingénue Elizabeth Hartman. Hartman plays a blind girl named Selina, kept as little more than a servant by her abusive mother (Winters, who won her second Oscar) and drunkard grandfather (Wallace Ford in his final film before his death), with no attempt to introduce her to the wider world. After convincing them to let her spend time in a park, she meets friendly office worker Gordon (Poitier), whose unseen skin color matters far less than the kindness he shows her, leading her to want more out of her sheltered life.

Domestic abuse is hard to watch, even in movies, and the belittling cruelty Selina endures at the hands of her own family is no exception. Between Hartman’s naive innocence and Poitier’s natural charm, their growing bond is very sweet as a stark contrast to her home life, even though Gordon is keenly aware of the racial stigma (and age difference) standing in the way of romance between them. Ultimately, things play out encouragingly but realistically, highlighting that simple caring can transform someone’s life.

Best line: (Selina) “I think you’re beautiful!”
(Gordon, smiling) “Beautiful? Most people would say the opposite.”
(Selina) “Well, that’s because they don’t know you.”

Ranking:  List Runner-Up

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