Roberta Writes – Thursday Doors, Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum and d’Verse #ThursdayDoors #d’Verse #poetry

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My Thursday Doors pictures are all taken at the Rijksmuseum and feature a few doors and the Rembrandt’s we saw. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/08/01/isu-memorial-union/

Thank you to Rebecca Budd for her inspiring post about Rembrandt which you can read here: https://chasingart.com/2024/07/26/rembrandts-self-portrait/

Picture caption: One of the interior doors in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Picture caption: TC waiting for me (as always) at the entrance to the treasure trove gallery where Rembrandt and Vermeer works reside along with two others of the top five paintings in the Rijksmuseum
Picture caption: Still Life with Peacocks by Rembrandt. In Rembrandt’s time, peacocks were a delicacy for the wealthy. The meat was used as a filling for pasties. After being slaughtered, the birds were hung upside down to drain their blood.
Picture caption: Isaac and Rebecca, Know as The Jewish Bride by Rembrandt
Picture caption: The Wardens of the Amsterdam Drapers Guild, Known as The Syndics by Rembrandt
Picture caption: Self portrait as the Apostle Paul by Rembrandt
Picture caption: Rembrandt’s Son, Titus, in a Monk’s habit by Rembrandt

Lastly:

Picture caption: Yours truly with The Night Watch by Rembrandt. The Night Watch is a group portrait of a company of civic guardsmen.
Picture Caption: A better picture of The Night Watch

d’Verse: Picking up the pieces

The d’Verse prompt for Tuesday, hosted by Punam, is as follows:

So, for today’s Poetics challenge, I would like you to write about grief (in general or personal). If that is something you don’t want to share, you can write about healing, dealing with loss or the general state of our world that brings grief to you.

You can join in the challenge here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/07/30/poetics-picking-up-the-pieces/

I am sharing two poems. Both are about honourable people I have known and admired.

Some People

Some people mark this imperfect world

Just by being, make it a better place

Encouraging, selfless, and enthusiastic

They’re a buffer against the rat race

***

Some people evolve into human hubs

Knowing everyone – friends with all

Able to link you up with a kind soul

To help you stand proud and tall

***

Some people have enormous hearts

That seem to beat outside their bodies

Touching everything around them

Supporting us through frequent follies

***

Some people mould our hearts and spirits

Forging new thought patterns that inspire

Following in such worthwhile footsteps

Becomes our ambition and desire

***

God calls some people back to Him

Before we are ready, or want them to go

As we pick ourselves up and go on – alone

Their guidance in our actions will show

The Leader

The Leader

stood out

A tropical island

during the good times

Sharing happiness

Ensuring all

shared in the spoils

Inspiring confidence

through his justice

Creating trust

through his fairness

Building unity

through his tolerance

***

The Leader

stood tall

A safe port

during a storm

Providing confidence

through his strength

Creating trust

through his honesty

Building unity

through his determination

***

The Leader

was cut down

An enormous oak

felled in its prime

Despite the blows

he tried to protect

his people

Inspiring confidence

through his calm

Creating trust

through his belief

Building unity

through his planning

***

The Leader

became a memory

To be reflected on

from time to time

His people

remembered him

and took courage

Growing confident

due to his legacy

Maintaining

trustworthiness

due to his integrity

Uniting as one

due to his fellowship

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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88 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Thursday Doors, Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum and d’Verse #ThursdayDoors #d’Verse #poetry”

  2. Thank you for sharing these photos of the beautiful works of art (and doors). TC is a patient man. Tell him we appreciate his waiting for you to snap a few more photos.

    I love these two poems, Robbie. I’ve known people who fit both descriptions and I’ve worked for people who should/should’ve read your second poem.

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    1. HI Dan, thank you. The Rijksmuseum is the most wonderful place. I could have spent a lot more time there. TC is patient, I am always lagging behind and he is always waiting for me to catch up. But, he likes my photographs and paintings. The first poem is a tribute to my minister who died unexpectedly in 2016. A great man. The second is about a great work colleague, a true leader of people.

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  4. That Rembrandt door-wall is stunning. The Brits like putting pictures high and low on walls and it ends up looking messy (that’s not meant as a complaint–just a comment). This museum does it right. Is this in Amsterdam? I’ve been there and missed it. Darn!

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  9. A great post, Robbie. Love the paintings! Your poems are very well written. This line caught me as ringing very true…
    Some people evolve into human hubs
    Knowing everyone – friends with all…

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  11. Beautiful poems, Robbie. We have all come across such people at some time or the other and they do leave a void. They are always missed. Thanks so much for sharing.

    The museum pics are stunning.

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    1. Well, Rembrandt would have been 10 years old when Shakespeare died. I imagine the style of poetry Shakespeare wrote would have still been popular for a while. LitPriest says: The standard poetic form employed by Shakespeare in his plays was blank verse. It was composed of iambic pentameter with vivid use of imagery and pun. His poetry is unrhymed and has ten syllables in a line. Each second syllable was supposed to be spoken with stress. The blank verse he used in his early plays is different from the blank verse he used in his later plays. Interesting!

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  13. This got to me, Robbie:
    “God calls some people back to Him
    Before we are ready, or want them to go
    As we pick ourselves up and go on – alone”

    You’re so right also with:
    “Their guidance in our actions will show”

    Powerful poeming. You make me think of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “If”

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  14. I didn’t make it to this museum when I was in Amsterdam. I really must visit the next time I’m in Amsterdam. It looks amazing. The poems are wonderful as always.

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  16. How wonderful to join you virtually at the Rijksmuseum, Robbie. This is the third time around for me – I felt that I had entered the doors of this amazing museum and stood beside you when you viewed Rembrandt’s paintings! I especially loved your selfie with The Night Watch. Many, many thanks!!!

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    1. Hi Rebecca, I always feel like a prime idiot when I take selfies in museums but I do it anyway – haha! The feeling of silliness passes and I still have the pictures. I’m delighted you enjoyed. I thought the painting of Titus was interesting.

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  17. Wonderful poems, Robbie. I love this,
    “Some people have enormous hearts
    That seem to beat outside their bodies
    Touching everything around them
    Supporting us through frequent follies”

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  20. Stunning pictures and I love the first poem, especially. These lines really hit me:

    “Some people have enormous hearts

    That seem to beat outside their bodies”

    Grief over a person like that is always unpinned by the joy of having had them in our lives at all. You’ve obviously known someone, or “some people”. My Dad was one. Thank you for this poem, which made me smile.

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  23. The Rijksmuseum seems like a beautiful museum. I’ve only been to schiphol airport several times on my way to Scandinavia but I have not taken the time to visit Amsterdam or the Netherlands. Your poems are full of wisdom. I enjoyed your post.

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  26. Love the art! My mother had a Rembrandt print, framed and hanging in the living room. However, seeing his works in person had to be jaw dropping. Thank you for sharing. Your poetry was touching and hastened my thoughts to shift to people in my own world about whom I could share similar feelings. Thank you, on all counts!!

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  29. I suspect a lot of life experience in those poems; you certainly described our better selves. We are so grateful for them in our lives! The Rembrandt paintings defy words. Thank you so much for taking us with you!

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  32. Thank you for sharing these Rembrandt paintings, Robbie. The expressions on his subjects’ faces are remarkable – so human. I also enjoyed your poetry. Some People was especially moving.

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