Les Amoreaux aux Poireau - after Robert Doisneau, 1950

A spray of jonquils signal his intention,
Almost romantic, though hardly innocent;
they say "I love you" - but don't quite mention
"I want you now" was what he really meant.

Ostensibly an image of seduction,
his bag of leeks turns passion into pathos;
his ardour undermined in deconstruction,
you sense desire collapsing into bathos.

And those of us beyond love's futile flush,
perceive a simple truth; Cupid's alluring
violence may deify a teenage crush,
but nameless household gods sustain enduring
love; so let this casual Parisian kiss
be dedicated to domestic bliss.

I wrote this in February 2006 and put it on the back of a postcard of Doisneau's famous photograph then gave it to Gill on Valentine's day. She does not tend pass comment at all about my writing, I guess she simply regards it as 'my thing'. She must have quite liked these sentiments as a somewhat curled and bleached copy of the card is still tucked away on the kitchen windowsill seven years on. 

Doisneau's quirky, humane photographs have helped define our post-war image of the French and Frenchness. I admire France, its comparative certainty about national identity, their commitment to a core set of republican values. As a national 'mission statement', Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite seems to me to be noble sentiment. It was replaced briefly during the Nazi occupation with "Travail, famille, patrie" (Work, family, fatherland.). This right wing slogan seems much closer to current utterances in this country from our leaders who seem keen to assert support for 'hard working families' while casting aspersions on 'troubled families' as if the only trouble a family might suffer was to be  found slothful.

Many countries I've visited see, to enjoy a more positive family life than Engalnd. I love the way in Greece, Italy and America kids are made a real fuss of and generally welcomed. I despair at the treatment of the 'domestic sphere' in the UK. It seems to me adults are treated more as a national workforce than citizens with the government playing the role of a giant, somewhat aggressive, H.R. department. So far as children are concerned, then discussion in the media focuses on what is wrong with them - too fat, over-sexualised, technology dependent and educationally underachieving -often the way they are spoken to by parents is critical, short-tempered and exasperated. National policy towards people in general feels merciless and often interpersonal dialogue is unforgiving, cynical and sarcastic.

I like Doisneau's work because it depicts the opposite of that, a celebration of human foibles that is both fond and forgiving. Of course the pictures are far more 'staged' than their apparent spontaneity might suggest; they are works of art rather than documentary. Nonetheless their optimism shines through and I find that uplifting.