-proof of the influence William Carlos Williams' "Pictures from Brueghel"

had on the writing of D'Elia's "Annex at Lincoln Park"-

1.
In the foreground grouping at Lincoln Park, four members

of a family,–– the young wife is long-striding toward

the "Clambake Pavilion."

her man is suited in grey, walking alongside her.

they are flanked by two kids we assume are their own,

ages about five and seven, adorned in festive red

vests and straw hats commemorating the adventure.
we see the kids struggling to keep up.

the young wife and mother of two is most interesting here,
leaning into the atmosphere, her flowing dress advances from behind.

2.
to their left, a bald-headed man seems to be considering something.

his arms are folded just above the belt-line and he's alone.

we don’t know if he’s waiting for someone.

he could be deciding on another exciting amusement ride.

he could be deciding between the fried clams, the clam chowder,

or the clam cakes before entering the chattering "Clambake Pavilion".
our interest in him should end here, but we linger, awaiting his decision.

3.
It’s Sunday.

how do we know this?

because the men are still dressed-up

in their suits worn for church, including those
who almost never wear suits; the cobbler,
the factory worker, the unemployed and the unemployable,
the stern fisher and power-loom mechanic.

the women seem always to be dressed-up for one thing or another;

church, social get-togethers, funerals, the dishes in the sink...
common situational television has also taught us these lessons.

4.
clearly the central figure here, although not centered in the frame,

is the woman in a black dress, inverted tulip, a dress racked
more for late evening cocktails or bereavements than for amusements.
the hem drops half-way between the knees of her legs and the ankles of her feet.

she stands gracefully upright in profile as if posing for a photograph

where no photographer can be seen.
we are not sure why the picture-taker stands so far away from his elegant subject.
panoramic camera lenses for public consumption have not yet been introduced.
maybe to him the distance is good enough.
I'm assuming the photographer is a man, her husband, her lover or such like.
for him, the development of the scene will serve as proof that they were in attendance.

her untold story is of interest to us.

this one will take some time and a poem of a more detailed narrative

to reason her into a romantic existence, tragic existence, or reason her away.

the 1950s