Body Art

April sunshine has given me the courage to take on the challenge of writing Ekphrastic poems. I have never attempted to translate the emotion from paintings, drawings, sculptures, or other visual works of art into words. The challenge will require me to dig deep to tap into the passions such works of art create inside a person. Most of what I write will be speculative. There will be times when I will place myself into the mind of the artist. Still other times, I will express the emotions I experience gazing at the work of art. If I get creative, I might even tell the story from an element within the artwork. This Ekphrastic poem is based on a tattooed person I found online.  I entitled it Body art.  

Body Art

My mother said,

“Don’t come home if you get another Tattoo.”

My body is a canvas,

My mind holds a different point-of-view.

I have a vision,

Of a world in which self-expression,

Is accepted,

And I can move in my own direction.

A sailing ship,

A Gothic goddess,

A random cross,

A spider web,

Maybe a skeleton on my back,

All inked in shades of green and gold,

Will adorn this canvas

In a hectic pattern brazen and bold.

Then I can begin,

To finally feel comfortable in my own skin.

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

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