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the women with wings: an ekphrastic poem - Crista Fusaro

—on Carlos Schwabe’s Cloches du soir (Evening bells, 1891)

the women with wings


burn a fire on the fourth

of each month—


(just over the hill)


a smoldering haze

a smothering haze


mist meant to tinge sight


the tower of silver

can be seen—


(just over the hill)


their wings:

milk white and

erect and


honed


the women:

breathe a

chorus and


summon


each word whispered feeds flame:


field of fruit,

seeds of sorrow

give us a promise of tomorrow


fiend of fruit,

see our sorrow

give us the promise of tomorrows


give us give us give us

give us give us give us

give us give us give us


the women with wings


burn a fire on the fourth

of each month—


(there) (above)


it is a suffocating haze


yes


the women with wings


yes


(there)


want


more


monument of stone


field of fruit,


women in a circle


seeds of sorrow


aureate robes


give us a promise of tomorrow


flailing in the wind


fiend of fruit,


skies flushed


see our sorrow


women in a procession


give us the promise of tomorrows


upturned


give us


palms


give us


wanting


give us


yes


there—


milk white


yes


erect


yes


honed


yes


a chorus


yes


a fire


yes


smoke


yes


song


yes


yes


yes


give us


more


i


see


them


sum


mon


ing


i


see


them


want


ing


yes


give


yes


me


yes


i


am


her


e




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