At napowrimo we are challenged thus today:
Today, I challenge you to write a poem of ekphrasis — that is, a poem inspired by a work of art. But I’d also like to challenge you to base your poem on a very particular kind of art – the marginalia of medieval manuscripts. Here you’ll find some characteristic images of rabbits hunting wolves, people sitting on nests of eggs, dogs studiously reading books, and birds wearing snail shells. What can I say? It must have gotten quite boring copying out manuscripts all day, so the monks made their own fun. Hopefully, the detritus of their daydreams will inspire you as well!
Happy writing!
here at the edge
we are free
to be whatever we want
that all encompassing
freak show burlesque-ish dance
a pageant of weird and weirder
panoti and blemmya
hare’s bells and duck–lion
hybrid templates for future us
centaurs breastfeed dogs
whilst mice hang cats from oak branch
scolds ducked out of place
rams rammed by foot
whilst disembodied heads frown
that frown of surprise (or not)
dog bishops arrow duck soldiers
cannibals eat mermen
rabbits ride man-snails
page after page of intricate
hour by hour hand drawn text
gave birth to boredom en masse
monk(ey) madness or magic
poured from quill and mind alike
filling the margins with zaney-zine
breaking from the norm
busting out from the line
dancing to their own tune
here at the sidelines
all are welcome
some things never change
napowrimo 24/30 (2)
This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you!
It’s the first day of the new universe, you know. I think you’re setting the tone for how it should go. You and Harley Quinn, that is.
Oh my gawd…mentioned in the same breath as Harley Quinn…my day is complete 😉
Are you mocking me? 😉
I don’t know about you, but I find her absolutely delicious.
No mockery here Shawna. I’ve not seen the movie but remember her character from comic books.
They took a bunch of creative, talented people, bored them with copying, but let them loose in the margins. What did they expect?
Indeed.
Yes sirree!
Yes indeedy
I think the title says something like “Marge, I nail ya” (referring to the Simpsons, of course). Or maybe “marriage …” Then I wonder which kind of nailing you’re doing … I can think of three possibilities at the moment. Wait, four.
Yikes! Marginalia is the art form the prompt is based on. You think way outside the box.