Hillsides by John P. Drudge

We drove to Provence

To capture Cezanne

To find impressions

In the landscape

Through fields of lavender

Vast and flowing

And the oleander

Growing randomly

At the side of the road

Small areas of color

Off in the distance

With fields

In the foreground

Reflecting off rocks

In the background

The yellows and greens

Of endless hillsides

In busy profusion

Through the perfumed

Azure

Of a sinking summer sky

And the shapes

Of things

Beyond their meaning

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John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of three books of poetry: “March” and “The Seasons of Us” (both published in 2019) and New Days (published in 2020). His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.