Shona stone carvings
stone smoothed,
polished with Johnson paste wax
a mother, or father perhaps,
with two children,
his children, her children?
dirty children with distended bellies and
our bearded confessor on his knees
playing
embracing
II
playful image.
captured by African artists
selling to American tourists
and tradesmen
importing to California, New York
et cetera
via ups and fed ex
This made of rapoko
but cast in silver,
I would hang it on the neck
of my wife
- Hoc Scripsi
image by Magpie tales - prompt #47
Damn that's good.. How did you see a handmade artifact in that shot? I saw it and my mind went completely blank..
ReplyDeleteLove the way you give the backstory and then the finished product to the reader.
I am most impressed..
playful image
ReplyDeletecaptured by African artists
Good thinking, blogpal!
"I would hang it on the neck
ReplyDeleteof my wife"
What a powerful, closing thought...
Inventive. The first I've read with an indication of the story behind the sculpture.
ReplyDeleteHanging on the neck? It'd be worse to wear than a cowbell! LOL
ReplyDeleteI suppose that would be true dependent upon what size you are imagining it to be, cast in silver or otherwise. I may be asking too much of the reader to first imagine a normal shona sculpture - and then imagine the same form only smaller, more like a pendant. Maybe I am but I don't think so. Most readers of poetry do not lack imagination!
ReplyDeleteLynne, Jinksy, Kevin, Lucy - Thank you very much. Cad, thank you as well for reading and commenting.
This is deep and so descriptive of the statue. You brought it to life, actually.
ReplyDeleteNow I must find out what "Hoc Scripsi" means!
Very nice - love the thoughts, each descriptive holding a moment here and there - you can hear the brain processing this sculpture....thank you....bkm
ReplyDeleteLydia, I've been asked that before - I think I'll talk about it in tomorrows post. No secret at all.
ReplyDeleteBKM, you are welcome and thank you.
Very nice, I and II. I love-love-love the closing line.
ReplyDeleteI like this. I imagine all those hands, touching then letting go.
ReplyDelete