Ekphrasis 2: Emma Kidd + Kate Sheckler
March 15, 2007
by Emma Kidd
*
The Island
The Island
at the end of all those other islands,
beads strung by bridges
all end at the dangling rosary of . . .
The Island.
Promises of peace,
like prayers un/answered.
Circumscribed, boundaried, trapped
by lapping limitation.
Here Sirens perch, the white powder of lotus
in outstretched palms.
by Kate Sheckler
Categories: Ekphrasis
Emma Kidd, Kate Sheckler
qarrtsiluni 
Beautiful. I never put lotus and lotus together, never walked to the end of an archipelago, never saw prayer from overhead, at the shore, or from the water. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed before today.
Sometimes I feel like commenting on a poem unfairly circumscribes it. But f it lets me go like that, I guess I’m no threat.
Kate, I love your metaphor of the islands “strung by bridges” being like a rosary. When I first saw Emma’s image, I didn’t see it as geographic at all; your poem and the image are a wonderful pairing. Thank you both!
Yes, wonderful interpretation of the image – the dangling end of a rosary, with its promises, prayers “un/answered” and proffered white lotus powder. Very nice.
Yes, Kate’s poem is a whole new image emerging from Emma’s image. What a wonderful thing is the imagination: image – ination. Giving birth continuously to new forms.
What a beautiful poem Kate, I am very touched that you could see that originally it was like a map. I love the rosary imagery you created.
This is a late addition. A thanks for the comments and a note for Emma. Generally I’m strictly a prose writer, but your (possibly watercolor?) piece struck a very specific cord with a great deal of personal history. Then too, islands have always seemed to me iconic. Your image is certainly compelling.