Slowly, Slowly (an ekphrastic poem: inspired by an image)
image: Blondine and the Tortoise, Virginia Frances Sterrett: Old French Fairy Tale
Slowly, Slowly
Dim, the forest
Hushed is the breeze
Stars sing o’er us
Quiet, the leaves
Travel slowly
on her smooth back
through the midnight
rambling, the track
Dodge all fauna,
trees of the ages
Carry me home
in dreamlike stages
© Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Imaginary Garden With Real Toads’ Kerry O’Connor granted me welcome release from events of the past week by gaving us several works by the same artist, Virginia Frances Sterrett, an American artist who died of tuberculosis at 30. The illustrations, so intricate and dreamy, were the antidote, for a while, anyway, to Boston and its nightmarish week. Who can imagine what this wildly talented woman could have produced, had she been granted a fuller lifetime?
I saw this image of the woman riding the tortoise and was thrown into a dream all my own. Who could see her work and not be entranced? To view more of her sumptuous illustrations, click here. Peace and prayers for the same, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil 
Polly Robinson
Such a very beautiful image ~ lovely poem ~ ‘carry me home / in dreamlike stages’ ~ fab 🙂
deanabo
You wrote the photo extremely well.
Kerry O'Connor
I love this, Amy. You created a mood of stillness, tranquility. It is really beautiful.
Emma llm calling
beautiful Amy,really gorgeous.
thanks for visiting my poem and commenting. I was thinking about all of humanity in our greed ridden world, women, men and everyone. so yes, you’ve got the enslaved right but the issue is bigger 🙂
Sharp Little Pencil
Amen, Emma. As always, I was focusing on the particularly poem’s narrative, but am also keenly aware of suffering everywhere. The irony of making them DANCE is all the more insulting to those women…
brenda w
This is beautiful, Amy.
McGuffy Ann
I love this!
Susie Clevenger (@wingsobutterfly)
Beautiful! I seem to have gone all Helen Reddy with my story and sang, “I Am Woman.” LOL
elleceef
Your poem helped me to feel placid and removed to a place of dreams. So nicely crafted,,,I enjoyed it a lot,,
Kay, Alberta, Canada
This is delightful, Amy. I love these lines: “dim, the forest” and “quiet, the leaves” —such a feeling of peace.
K
julespaige
Your words are the lines dripped from the vines.
They fit so well, best as I can tell…
lolamouse
This is just beautiful and reads like a dream.
Helen
Dimmed lights, serenity .. what we need most now. This is so lovely.
Carver
Beautiful poem and illustration.
Mama Zen
Beautiful write, Amy!
aqua dragon fruit
I really like this, Amy. Very nice. Especially the rhythm and rhyme, the lulling tale. That image is just gorgeous.
If I were you, I would make the first two lines parallel in structure:
“Dim, the forest
Hushed, the breeze”
And then maybe add “ing” in a few places: “Stars singing o’er us,” “traveling slowly,” “throughout the midnight,” “Dodging all fauna,” and “bearing me home.” The poem is already lovely; these are just suggestions for how my brain wants to control the rhythm. But it might not at all be how you hear it in your head. So feel free to ignore me. 😉
Susan
I can feel the pace of the tortoise in your lines and the slow restfullness of the home going.
Debbie
Amy, I think you should submit this to a children’s magazine! It’s truly wonderful!
laughwithme45
A peaceful feeling from title to the last line!
Caddoc Trellis
Lovely chant-worthy words.
hedgewitch
A smooth and serene ramble through this fantasy forest where things may not be quite what they seem, but where beauty is certain.
lmkazmierczak
The image and words are magically woven together…delightful♫
Sara v
Amy, this is stunning! The words the painting. It could be a lullaby:-). Very soothing and a welcome respite from this past week. Also had my father in law fall on his porch. Concussion, broken arm, broken cheekbone.. Its been scary. He’s healing and things look good. So thank you for the soothing words ❤