'ekphrasis' challenge

[butters]

find a piece of visual art - be it paint, sculpture, printed fabric, whatever you like - and use it as inspiration. the poem does NOT have to be a direct description of the piece of art; rather a sense of where that takes you in your head.

link the piece of art to credit its creator.

up to 60 lines, and format or style

last one posting before midnight sunday's next up.

well? what are you waiting for?
go!

 

[Tzara]

http://www.phaidon.com/resource/ophelianew.jpg

Sir John Millais Paints Ophelia

. . . her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
—Hamlet, IV vii

That she is dead is sure. Lying,
there, perfected corpse, surrounded
by Denmark's lovely bloom.

Miss Siddall, his model, had turned ill
when the warming lamps went out,
while she lay in water that had turned too chill.

Still, she lay, patient
as Millais finished his portrait, flowers at her waist,
her body floating, cold and dead, Ophelia's fate.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Painted, wild dogs

From the parched river or beast teeming plains.
dance to the tightened carcass of a drum,
where I can feel the sun on my back
and the mountains touch the skies of blue
the bushveld wears a coat of beige.
This is the place of wilderness, freedom
and death, yet where life began
and mankind stood first, where journeys start
and sunsets glow blood red.
When the story of this land is told
her destiny and mine are as one.

 

[SimonDoom]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameri...od_-_American_Gothic_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg


Posing, my dear, is no laughing matter.
It’s a grim thing to stand here, bored, still, for
A painter we don’t know, when ten minutes
Earlier we lay wrapped, entwined, sweaty

In the feather bed, morning light streaming
Through the pointed arch window, your body
Pale, print dress bunched up, legs back, toes curled tight,
Open, inviting, spread for all my world.

Let’s end this pose and tend to urgent needs.
Show me your fields and I’ll give you my seed.
I’ll plow you through the night and into day.
I will reap your abundance through harvest.

We’ll romp and play, and should he interrupt
Our cavorting and our sweet pleasure time,
Well, then, God forgive me, I will skewer
This damned-fool painter Wood with my pitchfork.

 

[cascadiabound]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/31/ef/46/31ef4687dc10267d93ec80414a5111a0.jpg

Quilt by Janet Kurjan ​

crimson, ruby, scarlet
geometry of blood
and oil
inky black
sliced through
cutting my heart
into pieces

bind sticks and stones
weeping vermilion
rhodie blossoms
against dark leaves

a salve
for my fears
and pain

 

[butters]

geometry of blood and oil [/QUOTE] yum!!

 

[butters]

simondoom, welcome welcome - nice reading! those curled toes=erotica

 

[butters]

annie - loving these lines:

tightened carcass of a drum,
where I can feel the sun on my back
and the mountains touch the skies of blue
the bushveld wears a coat of beige.

 

[butters]

tzed, elegant as per, with its wry twists and modern touch. really nice use of that linebreak and 'perfected' in this phrase,

..........................Lying,
there, perfected corpse, surrounded
by Denmark's lovely bloom.

and here, that dark comedic element:

Miss Siddall, his model, had turned ill
when the warming lamps went out,

 

[UnderYourSpell]

annie - loving these lines:

Thank you. I researched all sorts of paintings, fabrics etc and thought I wonder if the Wild dogs count for this challenge, then decided they did as beautiful yet efficient killers ..... plus as you know I like to post something different!

 

[Angeline]

Jeep

It's another day among the reeds,
passing tracks like hours and miles,
Duke driving this train
through the landscape of another
America, night upon night
music then wheels, syncopation
swinging and popping bubbles
jumping down into ballads
and down into watery deep
blues.

You are like the Sphinx,
implacable. Bird called you
the Lily Pons of the alto sax,
trills and ruffles, a full-throated
and nimble coloratura soprano
slurring and tickling, riffing
silk in the language of jazz.

I dream I am there. I wish
I'd known you but then I think
I do.

A Few Minutes With Johnny Hodges

 

[Mrtenant]

https://i.imgur.com/xfFF42d.jpg

 

[UnderYourSpell]

justanothermasterpiece

On days when

rains swell the stately river,
she leaves her bed
to swirl and dance,
unencumbered by swollen turbidity,
chasing debris from broken
banks, until caught
in the delta throat,
she pauses,

before surging triumphantly,
out to meet
the majestic sea.

 

[butters]

https://collection.heide.com.au/objects/17

Heide Museum of Modern Art
Charles Blackman, The Shoe 1956, oil, tempera and enamel on hardboard, 91



Alice's surprise
when she mouthed the words
"eat me"
was vertigo as the floor fell away
and her white silk stockings
shrank to ankle socks
her head rammed against surreality

red walls met red ceiling
the once wide window
now mousehole-perspective
and too far to see out of
even if she can still touch her toes

that shiny button winked
as she lifted the bottle
considered downing its contents
and she placed a hand on the table
to steady herself
hoping not to have to walk
miles in such ugly shoes

 

[HarryHill]

Searching for an image

 

[butters]

angie, these lines are so wonderful to speak aloud for all their l-i-ness, and most of all the bolded phrase. omg. lovin' it! the entire poem is a musical ride, and had me lifted up and sunk dunk into those watery blues *happy sigh*

implacable. Bird called you
the Lily Pons of the alto sax,
trills and ruffles, a full-throated
and nimble coloratura soprano
slurring and tickling, riffing
silk in the language of jazz.

 

[butters]

mr.t - there's a completeness for me in this image/poem combo; at the same time it manages to feel solid and grounded, yet fluid as the rain.

annie - i always like to read the poems first, then look at the image that inspired it. really enjoyed your choice and where it took you, and takes the reader. beautiful colours in that painting

 

[Piscator]

Removed

 

[Piscator]

I'm never sure whether to comment on the thread or in General Commentary Thread but butters has a winner here. So many approaches and I still have problems pronouncing 'ekphrasis" much less in understanding.

Congrats to all.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm never sure whether to comment on the thread or in General Commentary Thread but butters has a winner here. So many approaches and I still have problems pronouncing 'ekphrasis" much less in understanding.

Congrats to all.

I agree with you. This was a very interesting idea for a thread and it's been enjoyable to see the different approaches.

I'd never heard or seen the word "ekphrasis" before this thread, let alone known how to pronounce it.

 

[butters]

I'm never sure whether to comment on the thread or in General Commentary Thread but butters has a winner here. So many approaches and I still have problems pronouncing 'ekphrasis" much less in understanding.

Congrats to all.

i know some people prefer challenge threads kept 'clean' but i kind of enjoy seeing the responses within the same thread - and since i began this one, i'm putting my comments here. it seems too easy to miss what people reply when they're in another thread.

glad you're enjoying the thread and we're enjoying your contributions!

I agree with you. This was a very interesting idea for a thread and it's been enjoyable to see the different approaches.

I'd never heard or seen the word "ekphrasis" before this thread, let alone known how to pronounce it.

hi this has been used before, so it's not my original idea by any means; it does, however, seem to inspire fresh material which is a win-win for us all. got another for us?

 

[HarryHill]

Dollar Side Two Live

find a piece of visual art - be it paint, sculpture, printed fabric, whatever you like - and use it as inspiration. the poem does NOT have to be a direct description of the piece of art; rather a sense of where that takes you in your head....

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=1DD0045011529BBAA147B495F34A62E5ADDA975B&thid=OIP.YHYmBI_hyD5sNOu_dz7SwgHaDO&mediaurl=https**A**F**Fwww.thebalance.com**Fthmb**FJAu9EJNvf5rKCX0L0dEKGH9dJ74**D**F2627x1142**Ffilters**Afill(auto**C1)**Fone-dollar-bill-back-56a9a7bb5f9b58b7d0fdb515.jpg&exph=1142&expw=2627&q=image+of+back+of+american+dollar&selectedindex=0&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6

Your pedigree never in doubt,
shouted out in 20pt type,
domination 80pt smack between
Pyramid and Phoenix,
under a coffee cup or garter,
slip relatives in envelopes,
birthdays, graduations,
thumb the rag,
bye, bye.

 

[butters]

i had the page scrolled past your title, H, but i managed to puzzle it out anyways. love it

 

[butters]

so it's all yours, H; take it away, mr poet

 

[HarryHill]

so it's all yours, H; take it away, mr poet

..
next challenge HERE

I really enjoyed this one