[An ekphrastic poem
based on a photograph, printed on a greeting card, of a polar bear in mid-leap from one ice floe to another, seen from above (photo ©Florian Schulz)]
You,
leaping among clouds
white god in a sea-green heaven
arcing over a green abyss of dreams
shedding each former guise into that vault
where they are subsumed
to return in new dreams
You,
brilliant eternal arc
powerful bow of white wood drawn taut
the arrow of desire
at the instant before flight
the moment unfolding
always now
Comments
Benjamin Gorman
January 21, 2012
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It might help
to see the photo. Can we do that here?
Benjamin Gorman
January 22, 2012
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Duh
spelling: taught does not equal taut!
Neil McKay
January 22, 2012
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I like the metaphor of the
I like the metaphor of the taut white bow. That whole second stanza is brilliant.
Also, if the picture is on the internet, you should be able to just paste the link to the Bear picture and it will magically be a real link.
Jennifer Dixey
January 23, 2012
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the moment unfolding
When I read it, this phrase keeps wanting to be "the moment of unfolding". Maybe because it follows "the instant before flight". Anyway. Lovely poem, and I like that you were spare here.