POETRY
An Image Out Of Nowhere
Intrigued by a prompt to write a poem based on whatever photos pop up in response to the word “poetry” on a photo-sharing site, I asked Pixabay for its “poetry” images and it gave me 6 full pages.
Using them all would smack of ambitions to recreate the Iliad. I’ve neither inclination nor talent for that, so picked one at random from each of pages 1, 3, and 6.
Poetry From Pages 1, 3, & 6
Poetry looks old like this. Ink, nib, and messy fingers.
This is Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Favourites of mine, but draws a line, Like verses from an Ark.
Where’s Amanda Gorman, Natalie Diaz, and John Cooper Clarke?
Where’s this century and a whole lot of the last? Poetry isn’t — shouldn’t be — just about the past.
There’s more life, more movement here. Should poetry make us scared? Well yes, if the world holds fear.
A poet throws it in your face, Showing more than you saw before, Awkward truths, messy loose ends, You thought were packaged and neat.
There’s nothing wrong with poetry That knocks us off our feet.
Fool or genius took this shot, Called it “poetry” — there it sat, On page 6 of the photo site.
It’s not what I’d have chosen, Or even thought of to reject.
Frog in a dish, with huge black eyes. Someone looked and made the call. And a green frog tagged “poetry” seems The most poetic of them all.
Thanks to Ellie Jacobson for the inspiration:
