Portrait Shadows Challenge

by Yankee4youSt. Albans, Vermont, USA

May 2013 692 Views 7 comments

The Portrait (Shadow’s Challenge)

Hung in an odoriferous old attic
Unobtrusive eyes painted with mystique
Her portrait still hung like an odd megalith
Wearing a brilliant hat festooned with feathers
That hung like tassels from ancient cloth
A smile that irrigated love through time
Sitting next to a most foliaceous urn
Playing an ancient harmonium
A forgotten song effectively silenced
By the passage of time

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Posted: May 2013

About this poem:

This was quite entertaining as I was inspired to create an illusion of an old portrait that I imagined being stored in an attic of a Victorian age subject.

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Comments (7)

gnj4uBoston, Massachusetts USAMay 10, 2013

Hi, Yankee4you,
With Unobtrusive eyes painted with mystique, your poem paints a haunting picture and its forgotten song for the reader to savor.

shadow1950taunton, Somerset, England UKMay 10, 2013

way to go Yankee good use of the words as Joy says it paints a good picture

darkhorse555donegal, Donegal IrelandMay 10, 2013

nice potrait

online today!

ladyjewelDurban, KwaZulu-Natal South AfricaMay 10, 2013

So true i can see the forgotten painting with dust and spiderwebs, and still the eyes look alive:-)
I love how a painting done well follows you with its eyes, amazing

Yankee4youOPSt. Albans, Vermont USAMay 11, 2013

Shadow, The way we arrange words as poets can quite literally contrive something that really doesn't exist but maybe real all the same....

Macduff5Newcastle, New South Wales AustraliaMay 11, 2013

Hi Chris,

I've really enjoyed the way each of us has interpreted this challenge. Nicely done.

Yankee4youOPSt. Albans, Vermont USAMay 12, 2013

LadyJ, There's something in those eyes......people never used to smile that much...but there was no hiding the mirth and vim of the eyes in old portraits...