Yesterday afternoon I went to a workshop at the Acadiana Center for the Arts led by my mentor and friend Darrell Bourque. In the large gallery space was the show In Medias Res: How One Story Becomes Another, a collection of paintings from his collection accompanied by the poems he wrote to them. Darrell first introduced me to eckphrastic poetry years ago. This piece of painted canvas was among a pile of canvases in a writing station within the gallery.
The instructions read “Mystory: Turn no to yes”.
I love how the smashing of my and story looks like the word mystery. What mystery is hiding your true story? What story in your life turned a no into a yes?
During the workshop, I received an enticing text invitation to an Argentinian dinner complete with tango lessons. I said yes without even asking my husband. I knew yes would be his answer, too.
Today
daily elfchen, Margaret Simon
we imagine
an eager sunrise
spinning a new story
Tango
What mystery/mystory do you have waiting to expose? What emotions does the abstract painting stir for you? Please leave a small poem in the comments. Remember to write encouraging responses to other writers.
Reflections on the Teche 
Funny how abstract poems can spur the imagination. I see the sun rising in a lush jungle in Darrell’s painting. I love the idea of writing poems to abstract poems. They can be different things to different people.
A paint brush
dashes across
the steady canvas
lies there
streaks of paint
like a stream running wild
like the souls of the wind
like the beam of the sun
like the breeze
that rides
and soars
in the wind
all on
the steady canvas
Avalyn, 4th grade
Avalyn, what a sweet poem. I so love the section of similes–with each one, I was able to slow down and think of what you are comparing the streaks of paint to. They are very powerful. And I like all the long e sounds in them. Also, “steady canvas” is a strong phrase.
Mystory
Includes years
Of no, but
Your love prevailed to
Yes
I saw the red as a stop light and green just coming into the scene. My husband loved and pursued me for many years before I finally believed him.
Margaret, enjoy the dinner and tango. How special that you and your hubby both love to dance and learn more. Your elfchen is precious. “eager sunrise” is perfect.
Your elfchen captures the change of no to yes. I’m glad he caught you.
Thanks, Margaret. This is an interesting exercise. I love your “spinning a new story” and Avalyn’s “souls of the wind” and Denise’s “your love prevailed.” Here’s my elfchen:
First
No figure
Captures my eye
Then red sun emerges
Dawn!
That’s what I saw, too. The rising sun. Nice elfchen.
“red sun emerges” is powerful. I think of the sailor’s warning with that red sky. Maybe a stormy day is coming.