Vox Populi
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Sally Bliumis-Dunn: The Milkmaid
The strand of milk
twists like a satin ribbon
from the pitcher’s terracotta lip.
You can almost hear
the milk speaking
into the worn clay bowl.
And what luxury of looking,
knowing that you won’t be seen
by the milkmaid,
gaze fixed upon her task,
her eyes downcast
beneath a crisp white cap,
the risen bread spread with light
on the wooden table.
Her rolled cuffs and sleeves,
the mustard-colored bodice,
the glint of hooks that run
from breast to waist
stretch the bodice too tight,
her full apron painted
with the blue pigment
that Vermeer treasured.
Maybe it holds the light
from the window in its folds.
~~~~
Poem copyright 2024 Sally Bliumis-Dunn
Sally Bliumis-Dunn’s books include Echolocation (MadHat Press, 2018).
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A very finely wrought ekphrastic poem, capturing so much texture and light ✨
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Poets often write about Vermeer’s paintings, and this is one of the best.
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Wow–thank you.
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A lovely ekphrastic — and, yes, that blue!
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I love this verbal abuse way of looking at a picture
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Dang phone! How do the word abuse get in there?
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Did
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Thank you for this gift of light on an overcast morning.
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Thanks, Luray. I love Sally’s poems!
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