Tag Archives: ekphrastic poetry

Orange as a Dragonfly: #TankaTuesday

Colleen at Wordcraft poetry suggested writing a syllabic poem about a color using a word from a color chart she provided. I chose orange because it is close to my favorite color which is coral. For a word I chose joy.

Last year I posted a photo I took of one of our gorgeous Arizona Flame Skimmers, or orange dragonflies. This beauty is my inspiration.

Here is my tanka:

On a day of cares,

when the water heater leaks

and I am in pain,

I step outside and notice

with joy orange fairy wings.

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The following photo is a closeup from the free photo library.

The journal The Ekphrastic Review hosts an Ekphrastic (writing inspired by a work of art) Challenge every two weeks. Here is a poem I wrote to one awhile back. The link will take you to a sample of the art by Manuel Espinoza, though not the actual piece I used. https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-challenges/manuel-Espinosa-ekphrastic-writing-responses

So from joy to violence. But luckily joy is right outside my door because the Arizona air practically vibrates with dragonflies and hummingbirds.

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Filed under #amwriting, #poetrycommunity, #TankaTuesday, #writingcommunity, Arizona, Cats and Other Animals, Flora, Garden, and Landscape, Poetry, Writing, Writing prompt

An Ekphrastic #TankaTuesday

This week’s prompt from Colleen Chesebro’s https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2023/02/21/tankatuesday-ekphrastic-poetry-challenge-no-308-2-21-23/ is to write an ekphrastic poem about the following Singer Sargent portrait. The whole idea of #TankaTuesday is to write a syllabic poem according to prompt. Syllabic poems are quite different from what I usually write. They are formed by certain patterns of syllables.

By John Singer Sargent – Own work by Ad Meskens., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29347966

I love that Colleen wrote: “REMEMBER… don’t just describe the woman… we can all see her. Like all of us, this woman has a story. Write THAT poem….” I have been working on my ekphrastic poems, as well as syllabic, so this was a fun exercise. I chose to write a Reverse Cinquain. And, I’m sorry if this seems like a strange response, but all I could think about once I put myself into the woman herself is how uncomfortable I feel wearing this outfit. Then, my second thought was, but I sure feel beautiful (and I can’t wait to unhook my bra and the spanx and take off my shoes, etc.).

BEAUTIFUL PRISON

My dress

itches my breasts,

my corset produces

heartburn, this beauty I strive for

tortures.

This dress

my dressmaker created from

lavender gossamer

soothes mind but not

body.

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Filed under #amwriting, #TankaTuesday, Poetry, Writing, Writing prompt