This week’s challenge for our poetry group was to write an ekphrastic poem – that is one that addresses an artwork. I decided to base mine on one of the artworks that mysteriously appeared in my letter box a couple of weeks ago.
The Gift
I knew it at once
Athena’s owl
with wisdom behind
those staring eyes
two sprites hitching rides
through the darkness
one blowing a horn
to clear the path
the other in thought
planning mischief
Busy bees at work
in the night time
they plunder flowers
to make bee-balm
for the honey-moon
that idle month
of togetherness
before the fall
once time is up
the king must die
Unasked this picture
arrived by chance
imagination
thus ran amok
what unknown person
could have placed it
in the dead of night
on my doorstep
anonymously
meant just for me
©Ruth Gardner
Ruth's Reflections 
That’s awesome, Ruth! What’s the bit about the king must die, though? I didn’t get that.
LikeLike
It follows from the honeymoon. In ancient times the sacred king was killed after a 28 day honeymoon with the Goddess – ref. Robert Graves
LikeLiked by 1 person