View of the church of Saint Paul de Mausole by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent saw a cluster of old stone houses nestled higgledy piggledy around the base of a church, surrounded by fields in varied cultivation. The outsized church once served a large population until the advent of modern machinery and monoculture drove farm workers from village to city. Now he would see a rash of cream-washed pavilions enveloping the nucleus hamlet, each with its commuter car, testifying to the desire of city folk for a slice of country peace.
Constant movement
Microcosm of history
French village life
This is for Haibun Monday 3 at dVerse Poets’ Pub.
Vivinfrance's Blog 
Thank you for setting the painting in its context.
LikeLike
How odd … in his day everyone wanted to go live in the city … now everyone wants a slice of the country … nice take on the prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The idea of living in a quaint little village sounds magical. This was an interesting take on the prompt, using the perspective of Vincent himself! Very nice. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great marriage of today’s reality with the painting…. Love higgledy piggledy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I especially love the haiku piece for this, Viv, and the use of microcosm. Great write. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the “higgley piggley”…quite descriptive. I rather like the idea of quaint village life…none of that anywhere near me. I’m afraid Mr. van Gogh would find the world today even more trying.
LikeLiked by 1 person
but perhaps more sympathetic to eccentricity?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, you may be right about that, Viv, I hadn’t considered that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, change is here and reading your haibun, I realize there is a St Remi near my town and it is still vast country as well and not much as changed in over 20 years there.
LikeLike
“Progress”…oh, higgledy piggledy, you can’t stop it! Fascinating future perspective, Viv.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true, Viv. Your haibun shows us the ways of progress…..if we can call it that. Smiles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true–when I visited the farmlands of North Dakota in September, we saw so many abandoned churches (and some barns). Life has changed so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like what you did here. A futuristic take.
LikeLiked by 1 person
At least the commuter cars and village life is better than the vacant countryside we have here…alas change is here… progress I do not know.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does invite one in…peaceful and serene, unlike Vincent’s life…poor man. Nice, Viv.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would love to have that slice of country peace ~ Thanks for joining our Haibun Monday Viv ~
LikeLiked by 1 person
Progress? Very nice Haibun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A balancing act in compliance with and in keeping with human survival and desires all prompted by changes in activity and technology. Good observation Viv!
Hank
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is interesting to speculate how the impressionist painters would react to modern life and the way the industries they saw beginning now dominate our lives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done, Viv. I’m still working on mine, and not sure I’ll make the deadline.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Misky, just as a reminder, this particular prompt gives us an entire week. I hope you can make it!
Gayle ~
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, our village and the surrounding area seems to be a constant building site, with more and more bland developments springing up with barely a narrow strip of garden to separate them. I hear the pain but can you blame anyone for wanting that idyllic landscape… which then disappears?
I love the word higgledy piggledy and the fields in varied cultivation…
LikeLike
Thank you Marina. We’re as guilty as anyone, living in a modern little bungalow on the edge of the village, gazing out across the fields. But our house was too much for us to cope with.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What they picturesquely call McMansions here; huge, bland, devoid of character or outstanding feature. The original villages stand besieged…
LikeLike
They couldn’t call these McMansions! More like little boxes made of ticky tacky!
LikeLike
Oh, those nasty villas they cram in cheek by jowl… Horrid.
LikeLike
That’s what I always thought, until I was obliged to live in one: well designed, great insulation, comfortable – from the inside. In France at least they have space round them.
LikeLiked by 1 person