Saturday, September 10, 2011

Ekphrastic Poem

I discovered a new type of poem today.  :)

One that I should have known about for years now, but I guess things appear right when they are supposed to in life.


Yeah, the word "ekphrastic" sounds strange, but it is merely poetry based on a work of art, like a painting, sculpture or photograph. Pretty simple, huh?

So, of course for my first attempt at an ekphrastic poem, I chose Andy Warhol's "Giant Panda" print from his Endangered Species series.

Here it is:


Layers of color
Create your edges
But naturally
You are black and white

Sitting there with that smirk
Begging me to give you bamboo
With those masked eyes
Your hands are empty

Red with anger
Drops of sun begin
To gnaw on your empty hands
Species in danger, or endangered species? 

Poised on your backside
In an open-eyed meditation
The purple lines that create you
Are the veins of your fate

Was it He who did not fill in the white space
Did your Creator do this to you?
You are a symbol of hope, panda
That misfits do not merely exist-- 

But thrive in the protection of society.

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