Camille. La femme à la robe verte.

Monet, 1866

After Ian McBryde

You walk away from me, my Queen, in the green dress I borrowed for you.
You walk away from me, my Queen, in the green dress I borrowed.
You walk away from me, my Queen, in the green dress.
You walk away from me, my Queen.
You walk away from me.
You walk away.
You walk away.

Camille. La femme à la robe verte.

Monet, 1866

D’après Ian McBryde

Tu t’éloignes de moi, ma Reine, dans la robe verte que j’ai empruntée pour toi.
Tu t’éloignes de moi, ma Reine, dans la robe verte que j’ai empruntée.
Tu t’éloignes de moi, ma Reine, dans la robe verte.
Tu t’éloignes de moi, ma Reine.
Tu t’éloignes de moi.
Tu t’éloignes.
Tu t’éloignes.

Camille sur son lit de mort

1879

Je ne signerai jamais ce portrait de toi ma Camille

car je suis un voleur
             de lumière
             de couleur
             de vie.

Je t’ai peinte naguère
             dans une robe verte
             dans un kimono rouge, d’hiver
mais je te représente à présent
             dans ta robe de mariée
             ton suaire
             ton nid de brindilles et de plumes.

Je ne puis assouvir ce désir
             de ravir ton image
             de la retoucher
             en bleu
             en gris
             en jaune
sur cette toile.

J’ouvre la porte
             aux croquemorts
             pour te rendre ta liberté.

Je ne signerai jamais ce portrait de toi ma Camille.

Camille on her deathbed

1879

I will never sign this portrait of you ma Camille

for I am a thief
             of light
             of colour
             of life.

I have painted you before
             in a green dress
             in a red winter kimono
but now I am painting you
            in your wedding dress
             your shroud
             twig-and-feather nest.

I am drawn to
             stealing your image
             blueing it
             greying it
             yellowing it
on this canvas.

I open the door
             to the undertakers
             to setting you free.

I will never sign this portrait of you ma Camille.

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Born in France, Dr Christiane Conésa-Bostock is a Hobart-based poet. Her work has been published in print, and online in Australia, France, Algeria and USA. After writing about the migration experience, she is now focussing on a collection of poems based on Claude Monet’s paintings.