Lions Carved of Stone
Ekphrastic Poetry
You must visit me one day on the edge of the universe, where I once was stranded in the metro, lost in a Rubik’s cube, in a honeycombed abscess of a crimson dawn, restricted parking and poetry.
In summer, we can dip our nimble toes into the water warm and gyrate in the amber sand.
Or when the chill arrives, we can plow through the snow and find the place where words go to play or die. I would certainly detest being a chapter just sitting idly by on a dusty shelf, unattended, unhandled, unloved.
Outside this place where volumes of scripted words abide, you will find a pair of lions made from marble, carved of stone. Their names — Patience and Fortitude — protract their beauty to behold.
They bring one inspiration to either sit outside or dare to enter their literary, hallowed halls. Trust me, it is here that the magic of words reside and enthrall.
grace notes: for my graduate studies, I was blessed with two main New York City Public Libraries. The one referred to above is called the 42nd Street Library and the Fifth Avenue entrance is flanked by these two majestic lions made of marble that have become the icon for this world-famous book repository.
Postscript: While I love stone ponies and stone lions, my guy loves wood carvings. Our summer home is filled with them and on Medium Day I saw someone’s background had what looked like wonderful etchings or carvings of a bear and evergreen similar to ours. It warmed my heart.
Were you ever inspired by a carving of wood or stone? That is the very essence of ekphrastic word art — words inspired by a piece of art.
Thank you to the editors of Scrittura publication on Medium writing.
© Connie Song 2023. All Rights Reserved.
