This month my poetry sisters and I are experimenting with Ekphrastic poems. Laura Purdie Salas chose the image for us and we all went off in different directions, responding to the images as we were called. Ekphrasitc poems are written in response to visual art; an image, a painting or a sculpture. The images we are working with this month are photographs of the ceiling frescos of Mark Balma (
markbalma.com), part of a
7-part ceiling fresco at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. Balma studied the art of fresco painting with an expert in Italy. The unique thing about this type of painting is that the pigment is ingrained into the plaster while it is wet, so that it dries as a permanent surface. The series is called "The Seven Virtues". Here is the image I chose to write about:
I did some searching for information on allegorical representation of
The Seven Virtues in Christian tradition, as represented by animals. I found a lot on animal imagery, but nothing about grasshoppers watching TV, which was the part of this image that really grabbed me. What is going on here?
Old skool technology, the "boob tube" as we used to call it, captivating grasshopper's attention while all the other wild and crazed creatures turn toward the LORD and bow, offering what-have-you (honest or not...). That spoke to me. I decided to revisit the
Sedoka Japanese poetic form that we used last month, and explore that connection.
Watching TV in the Presence of Christ
Bug-eyed, she lounges,
reclined in Holy Presence;
eyes fixed on flickering screen.
Her LORD approaches
barefoot upon Holy Ground.
All worship; she surfs the screen.
-Andromeda Jazmon
Take a look at what the my Poetry Sisters have written this month at their blogs:
