(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

© 2025 S.G. Liput
804 Followers and Counting

(For Day 1 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was to write a plot summary of a novel you haven’t read in a long time. This blog began with writing movie plot summaries in verse, so this felt like going back to my roots.)

There once was a boy born to low expectations,
And Pip was his name, not that anyone cared.
Unfortunate orphans resigned to their stations
Could rarely progress, limitations Pip shared.

One day in the country, a convict caught Pip
And bade him to aid him in getting away.
So Pip held his tongue, no alarm or hot tip,
And Magwitch escaped with a debt yet to pay.

Soon Pip was a guest at Miss Havisham’s mansion,
Where dust covered her and her old bridal dress.
She treated the boy like a half-approved grandson,
While her ward Estella approved even less.

But though Pip was taunted, he fell quite in love
With Estella and grieved when he left her employ.
He grew into manhood, and, as if from above,
A mystery patron supported the boy.

He found he had money, a gentleman rising,
But who is behind all these kindly donations?
I’d tell you the twists that you might find surprising,
But I’d hate to spoil your great expectations.
__________________________

MPAA rating: Approved (basically G)

I was thinking I hadn’t bothered to review an older film in a while, and, luckily, this month’s first prompt pointed me toward this 1946 classic from director David Lean. I remember reading an abridged version of Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, but I had largely forgotten the plot except for a boy named Pip and a dusty spinster named Miss Havisham. So watching this movie was like a trip to the library, conjuring up a rags-to-riches tale with distinguished British aplomb.

I won’t go into the plot since it’s above, but I will praise the unexpected actors who showed up, including a young John Mills as the older Pip, a young Alec Guinness as Pip’s friend Herbert (his first of six collaborations with Lean), and a very young Jean Simmons as the child Estella. Finlay Currie is especially good as the convict Magwitch, able to seem both threatening and sympathetic as needed, while Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham brings a vaguely creepy craftiness to the part, especially when surrounded by her dark, cobweb-covered mansion. The main complaint for me would be the character of Estella, whose insulting tsundere treatment of Pip gives little reason to like her or want the besotted Pip to end up with her. Despite the romance not really landing, Lean’s Great Expectations is an admirable Dickens adaptation.

Best line: (Mr. Jaggers, the lawyer) “Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There is no better rule.”

Rank:  Honorable Mention

© 2024 S.G. Liput
790 Followers and Counting