The Commonality of Layers
The rain that binds was medicine,
acid burnt and limping beige.
Memories pressed between.
Cut and cropped like lacy
wings prised off butterflies.
A cult of layers for a girl
who caught a butterfly
in her hands. Held it tight, right
near her ear.
But when she couldn’t
hear it breathe,
she assumed it dead,
‘though its wings still beat
hard within her heart.
Written for Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge #15, Image by Nick Reeves “An Uncommon Vision” shared with dVerse Poets and @Experimentsinfc #APoemADay on Twitter © Misky 2021
It's Still Life 
30 responses to “Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge #15”
Thank you for your entry, Misky: I enjoyed your response to the challenge!
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Thanks, Ingrid.
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Love this poem! I really love how the image inspired your piece 🙂
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Thank you so very much! I appreciate your taking the time to read it.
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Beautiful imagery! 🦋
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Thanks 😊
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This is a beautiful response to the image! The collage — commonality of layers —
To me it looks like it could be an etching in part…those colors….a singeing….and limping beige.
I am enthralled by the expression on the girl’s face here and to me, reading your poem twice, it can very well be the look of wonder, awe, intense listening while holding the butterfly up to her ear?
“Cut and cropped like lacy
wings prised off butterflies.” yes — this is also what the image “feels”.
Just a beautiful job relating to the image.
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Thanks, Lillian. Your critique means a lot to me.
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My goodness this is absolutely phenomenal, Misky! 💝 The poem with its arresting imagery can be interpreted in more ways than one. I particularly love; “Cut and cropped like lacy wings prised off butterflies. A cult of layers for a girl,” to me there are dark undertones to this which speak of pain and (perhaps repressed memories) that being said, I guess that is the beauty of poetry isn’t it? We unlock so much in so few words 🙂
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Thank you, Sanaa.
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Oh I love the beating wings, hard in her heart. Such fragility and strength in this.
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Thank you!
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This is great Misky – the image has released a lot in you I think and helped produce a powerful and confidently shaped write. Great stuff! in fact quite inspiring – it’s an excercise I might well try myself now – thank you…
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Thank you very much!
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This is what I love about ekphrastic poetry. It (this especially) often offers a new way of perceiving a work of art.
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Thank you!
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Listening close to the stir of butterfly wings stands out here for me. Your poem goes well with the image.
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Thanks so much! ❤️
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You’re very welcome.
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to = for
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A gorgeous ekphrastic poem …
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Thanks.
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A wonderful. delicate ekphrastic poem, Marilyn, and the title fits it perfectly. I love the hint of colour in ‘acid burnt and limping beige’, and those ‘lacy wings prised off butterflies’. The ending is poignant.
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Thank you so much, Kim.
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I love these lines! Well done!!
But when she couldn’t
hear it breathe,
she assumed it dead,
‘though its wings still beat
hard within her heart.
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[…] Place: The Commonality of Layers by […]
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Congratulations Misky! https://experimentsinfiction.com/2021/02/10/eif-ekphrastic-challenge-the-results/
I would like to offer you the chance to judge next week’s competition, should you wish to. Please contact me by email to discuss, if you are interested: experimentsinfiction@protonmail.com.
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What a delightful honour. Thank you very much.
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Reblogged this on Plumb-Lines and commented:
I’m delighted that this poem was chosen as the winner of the Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge.
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[…] week’s judge will be last week’s winner, Misky Braendeholm. Her poem ‘The Commonality of Layers‘ won the Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge. Misky’s poetry has been widely published, […]
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