If he’d had students, he’d have said
always have a broom at hand
to sweep out all the readymade images
of your subject which come to mind;
he’d have said this is the hardest part,
harder than putting paint on canvas.
He’d have said the broom’s handle
should become smooth from use
and the day you think you don’t need it
is the day memory has won.
Look at the results of his encounter
with that iris – he’s eighty-four
and it’s as though
he’s never looked at one before.
Helen Farish’s fifth collection, Monet’s Broom, will be published by Bloodaxe in November to mark the centenary of the artist’s death
