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 Julius Von Leypold entitled Wanderer in the Storm.
Wanderer in the Storm
I could have stayed behind the four walls,
Remain safe in these cavernous halls,
And hidden away from the tempest of life.
Instead, I journeyed into a wind that cut like a knife,
And braved the danger of the tyrant’s rumble,
I walked a baren path past the ancient wall’s crumble,
While lightning bolts shot from the sky.
People ponder the question and ask me why,
I take the risk to wander in the storm,
Why didn’t I take shelter at the first alarm?
The answer is simple there is no mystery,
I had places to go and people to see.
I have the freedom of choice,
To scream into the wind with my voice,
“It is my birthright and destiny,
To live beyond fear and be free.”
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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