Hello, dVerse Poets! I hope despite everything going on the world, you are all well. March seemed to sneak up on me. I thought it was weeks away, but here it is the first of March!

Perhaps we should welcome it as Emily Dickinson did:

“Dear March—Come in—
How glad I am—
I hoped for you before—
Put down your Hat—
You must have walked—
How out of Breath you are—”
From Emily Dickinson, “Dear March—Come in—”(1320)

In my part of the world, March can bring both snow and daffodils. Last week we had a little bit of everything—snow, sleet, rain, sunny, warm days—and wind.

Since March is often very windy, and since we haven’t had an ekphrastic prompt in a while, I thought paintings of wind would make a good prompt. I’ve chosen four paintings of wind. They could all be March, but they differ in setting and style. I hope one appeals to you. Please choose one of them and write a poem using it for inspiration. They are all available on Wikimedia Commons, and the artist and title of the painting is above each image.

If ekphrastic poetry is new to you, here’s an explanation from the Poetry Foundation:

Ekphrasis
“Description” in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning. A notable example is “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” in which the poet John Keats speculates on the identity of the lovers who appear to dance and play music, simultaneously frozen in time and in perpetual motion:

What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?”

Franz Marc, Flatternde Wäsche im Wind (1906)

Joseph Farquharson ‘Cauld Blaws the Wind Frae East to West’ (1888)

John Sloan, Sun and Wind on the Roof

Claude Monet, Woman with a Parasol, Madame Monet and Her Son

If you are new, here’s how to join us:

*Write a poem based on the writing challenge as described above. Post it on your blog or website.
*Enter your name and direct link to your poem in Mr. Linky.
*Remember to check the box re: privacy policy.
*Follow the links to other poets. Read and comment on other poems. We all appreciate feedback on our poems.
*Link back to dVerse so others can find us too.
*Have fun!