Hello, dVerse poets! Here in southern New Jersey, it’s just starting to look a bit autumnal, as the autumnal equinox occurs next week. It’s still very green here, but the treetops are beginning to turn gold, and the days are growing shorter. The nights have become cooler. It seems a good time to reflect.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia. The museum holds a large collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern art, along with some older European art, and artifacts from many lands. One of the quirky things about the museum is that the galleries display large groups of paintings that Dr. Barnes thought went together, but they are not labeled. At this visit, there was also an exhibition, “From Paris to Province,” which highlighted some of the artwork from the museum’s permanent collection. In the exhibition, the works of art were labeled, and we saw many paintings by Cézanne, Matisse, Van Gogh, Renoir, and more. One painting that caught my eye was this painting by Claude Monet, “The Studio Boat.”

Here is my photo from the exhibition

Here is the link to the painting at the Barnes.

Some of you know that I love reflections—and rivers. I also like reflecting about many things, including reflections.

Reflection is a fun word that can mean the image you see in a mirror, glass, polished surface, or water. It can also mean to muse upon something.

Jorge Luis Borges’s poem, “We are the time. We are the famous” does both:

“We are the river and we are that greek
that looks himself into the river. His reflection
changes into the waters of the changing mirror,
into the crystal that changes like the fire.”
–from Jorge Luis Borges, “We are the time. We are the famous”

So, for my prompt today you have two options.

1. You may write an ekphrastic poem inspired by Claude Monet’s “The Studio Boat.” Your poem does not need to include anything about reflecting or reflections, but it can. AND/OR
2. You may write a poem on reflection, whatever that means to you—self-reflection, reflection on time’s passing, a reflection in a pool of water, etc.

Some people love writing ekphrastic poems, and some people don’t! So, I’m giving you a choice. There is no specific form for this prompt.

If you’re new, here’s what to do!

*Write a poem (in any form) in response to the challenge.
*Enter a link for your poem (not your website) and your name by clicking Mr. Linky below.
*Check the little box to accept the use/privacy policy.
*You will find links to other poets, and more will join so please do check
back later to read their poems.
*Read and comment on other poets’ work– we all come here to have our poems read.
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