Because I am an overachiever, I decided to extend my Ekphrastic poems into the month of May. 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 painting by Georgia O’Keeffe entitled Black Iris III.
Black Iris III
They only see what they want to see,
And I honestly don’t agree,
With all the talk about female genitalia and sex.
And I wonder what they will accuse me of next.
My work has been compared to ten days in a whorehouse.
Whoever said that is a dirty louse.
All I did was paint the intricate delicacies of a tiny flower,
In shades of purple and black for eyes to devour.
People don’t look at things that are small,
If they even see them at all.
I wanted them to take time to really look,
At the beauty in the intricate nook.
And they transformed it into a female phallic symbol.
When my desire was for it to only resemble,
A captivating image they would have to slow down to see.
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.
Be sure to follow Molly on Twitter!