My writing group is here this week with a new name and a new challenge. Formerly, the Sunday Swaggers, we are now the Inklings. Catherine Flynn challenged us this month to write an Ekphrastic Poem.
From the Poetry Foundation:
Ekphrasis
“Description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.
A few weeks ago I was participating in #WriteOut, a virtual writing marathon from the National Writing Project. On this visit, we were in San Antonio, Tx. One of the prompts was a work of art by Georgia O’Keefe that is housed at the McNay Art Museum.
Evening Star
Texas sky
blooms
into star-gaze
red glare haze
across blue waves–And there–
Margaret Simon, draft
a point of light
opens a minor C–
insignificant note
like a dust-speck
glistening then gone.
To see more Inkling ekphrasis:
For #TheSealyChallenge, I have read 5 poetry books. This week I wrote blog posts about Before the Ever After, a verse novel by Jacqueline Woodson, and Ilya Kaminsky’s Deaf Republic, a totally different novel in verse. I also blogged about The Bridge Between Us, a collection of poems about teaching through the Covid-19 pandemic. I’ve read Robert Bly’s Morning Poems and Naomi Shihab Nye’s Cast Away, but haven’t blogged about them yet. I am enjoying this challenge. It’s making me pick up poetry books that I have had on my shelves and never read through. I only heard about this challenge this year, but it’s been around for a few years. Is anyone else doing it? How are you handling and processing?
Reflections on the Teche 
That first stanza marches the reader along in a whirlwind, Margaret. A rousing response to bold artwork.
Wow, double wow, triple wow! This Georgia O’Keefe painting is such a surprise to me, with its wider range of saturated colors, abandonment of precision. I only know her most famous flower and skullbone paintings. And then your poem with its saturation of rhymes
star-gaze
red glare haze
across blue waves
which then become a musical note! I originally read note as “mote” because of the dust speck–so much going on here in a not many lines, just like the painting. *sigh*
Oh, how I love that star-gaze. I don’t know much about O’Keefe…I thought she was all New Mexico. But, she’s Texas too. Neat-O. One of these summers I’ll catch up to the NWP with you. The writing community that grows from it is very inviting.
Margaret,
Go you!!! I wish I had the time to dive in to this challenge. I enjoy doing Ekphrastic poetry a lot. Irene Latham always inspires me with hers and I say I am going to do more……your second stanza intrigues me. I would love to “talk” to you about it. I see the blue Texas sky instantly and I am just saying “wow” to your poem. And Georgia O’keefe.
I just viewed a picture of the red skies in California’s wild fires, reminds me of this art, Margaret. “like a dust speck/glistening then gone” makes a lovely ending for what we know is true. I wish you could come to the store for poetry books. We just received a huge donation of some wonderful ones!
I love all the rhymes in that first stanza! It made me read “mote” where you wrote “speck!” (And truth in advertising — I wrote this BEFORE I saw Heidi’s comment!!)
Funny how that happened. When I changed the word I was not focusing on rhyme. Maybe I need to revise again?
Margaret,
Nice job with the simple painting and your on target bullseye of a poem. I love the rhymes in the first stanza.
What a great art work to write alongside! Like the painting your poem is direct and powerful. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Margaret, I commented at Linda’s post that I liked your writing group’s new name. More thoughts: I am impressed with the amount of reading and writing you have been doing. I believe that the more we read the stronger writing becomes. O’Keefe’s artwork sweeps across the page and your imagination took you to envision it like the Texas sky.
Margaret, you make it look easy! Beautifully done. I’m having great fun with the Sealey Challenge, but have gotten WAY carried away accumulating poetry books from the library, inter-library loans, and several bookstores. My favorite thing to do in the morning is sit on the patio with a cup of coffee and read poetry. I’m going to try & carry that through the year, though I’ll have to read indoors come late fall.
O’Keefe’s painting is stunning. No wonder it inspired you to write such a stunning poem! As others have said, the rhymes of the first stanza are wonderful! Isn’t it funny how we both have dust particles that describe differently? I’m not doing the Sealy Challenge because I’ve been in Virginia all week, and reading 10-15 board books a day to Hazel has been pure joy!
I think that counts! Reading to a grandchild is a little piece of heaven.
I love the sky blooming. Great stuff! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
This is gorgeous! I love the assonance in these lines:
“into star-gaze
red glare haze
across blue waves–”
It builds a momentum that pulls you further into the poem.
Thanks for sharing this and the links to your reviews. I look forward to checking them out!
First of all, I appreciate that you picked a lesser known O’Keefe image (well, at least to me!). Then, I love how you pulled me into the poem with the rhyming energy of that first stanza. This poem invites multiple reads! What a wonderful, rich response!
Juicy watercolor image by O’Keefe. Her image and your line, “red glare haze” also remind me of the wildfires and the haze that is turning up all over—though I like the lightness your brought to your poem. And Inkling– I like that too, thanks!