Learning To Love Broadly (Reflections on Book: Art As Therapy  - J. Armstrong pp.100-126)

The painting hanging on the wall at home;
Or sculpture in the garden when we roam;
The poem penned within a greeting card;
The song we hear when loss is very hard –

The dance or Symphony with soothing sound;
The play, or stand-up, reading when we’re found
In some café or venue at the park,
Can boost capacity in loving art –

Not art as object; more, relationships;
And more than just technique and other tips;
For art informs our social side of life,
And civilizes home as husband-wife.

Aesthetics opened up in anything
Enriches love of life and makes us sing;
The genres feed each other – boundaries none;
Reflection slows us down to ponder one.

Our focus opens up from narrow band
Of “use to us” of what we have at hand;
The whole, not just the part as single part;
As love expands to all not just the heart.

For love is more than when we’re swept away –
Soon come the issues challenging each day,
As core beliefs inform our crazy ways,
And he who calls the tune the piper pays.

The daily tasks of life need patient steps;
Demand we care, stay curious and get
The subtleties and detail of our world,
For serendipity is part of swirl.

Our sex and sensuality in life,
Entwine themselves for husband and for wife,
In every detail of our complex round;
From birth to death bring depth that is profound.

We should not cache our brains in at the door,
When we embark in aspects of amour;
Sharp explanations can a structure give
To others whom we love, with whom we live.

When structure’s seen in art it brings a strength
To reason in their viewers, then, at length,
They start to underpin their rising thought,
With firm foundation – strengthening it a lot.

Perspective helps us love when swept away,
Or deluge strikes, destroying better days;
“ ‘Life sucks’ is not unique, it’s mostly that” –
One bloke observes, “it’s mostly lean, not fat –

“So give your head a shake and look around –
You’re doing fine, perspective now you’ve found;
You won’t think you’re hard-done-by – like the rest;
Life sucks, so suck it up, it’s like a test.”

Aesthetic side of human form has place,
In drawing interest in each current case;
But it’s a poor foundation, can’t sustain
A good relationship through flood and flame –

But when we set aside dismissive haste,
As stimulated by some artist’s taste,
Internal and external blend as one,
And detail we perceive – new love’s begun.

We see once more some aspects we’d ignored,
As through the years with family we got bored;
As seasons of our lives mature indeed,
We see the fruit from what was once a seed.

We send our boys and girls to school of war
Before they are deployed – but why not more?
“Academy of love’ – with art as base,
For in it lies the wisdom of the race.

For life is tough – there’s icebergs in the pond;
Our tiny ships on sunken ice are ground
To pieces – whence intoxicating love?
We’ve slept it off – we need more from above.

And art can do that task by being there;
Inspire our better selves until we care
Enough to try again, reach out and give,
A richer love to those with whom we live.

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