This post was written in response to the dVerse Poets Pub prompt, Sep a Rate, in which poets were asked to choose a work of art and write an ekphrastic poem incorporating color. I chose this work of art:
Sit with Me
i’m here, alone
in this cafe au lait room-
will you join me?
cerulean cushions
and open empty arms
(my invitation)
sit with me:
i’ll enfold you
with empathy
the mood is right
for relaxing
and meditation
soft rug beneath us
and I can promise
tranquility
sit with me:
my strong legs
will hold you
sit with me:
i’ll enfold you
with empathy
an empty chair
i wait for purpose
(to cradle you)
I enjoyed the exercise of writing an ekphrastic poem, which Oxford describes as “the use of detailed description of a work of visual art as a literary device.” I chose the empty blue chair because I love this painting, which hangs in my kitchen.
The chair painting invites you into the kitchen and asks you to “sit a spell”, as my paternal grandmother used to say.
The chair is the work of artist Don Mathison of Pass Christian, Mississippi, and is just one of the pieces I’ve acquired from him. I love his minimalist approach, and feel that the chair painting is the perfect visual anthem for hospitality in our kitchen: “Come on in and sit a spell!”
The dVerse prompt was in two parts and I didn’t understand that the artwork choice was supposed to be limited to the few options in the post, so my submission broke all of the rules. But I’m posting anyway, to give a voice to the chair’s siren call, and to honor Don’s work.
© 2025, Glover Gardens
Who needs a man when you have a chair!😅 You aren’t the only one who posted art by another artist. It’s ekphrastic. No big deal. Thanks for joining in!
LOL!!! You caught the double meaning.
Hi Kim, I really love this poem and the chair painting.
Thank you so much, Robbie!
i could sit in that kitchen! i love how you painted the base of the island to match the blue chair. oh, and yes, enjoyed your poem too!
Thank you – come on over and “sit a spell”! The island actually came before the chair painting, but when I saw it in Don’s studio in Mississippi, I HAD TO HAVE IT. And I knew exactly where it should go. I had a different (wrong) approach to that space before the perfect painting of The Blue Chair. I think you might be able to see it here. https://i0.wp.com/glovergardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Island.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1
Kim, I enjoyed reading your ekphrastic. That’s a lovely painting and so perfect for your kitchen.
Thank you so much!
Ha<“lovely warm words indeed! But what’s the role of the fella in all of this! Enjoyed this verse,,,
I’m glad you caught the double meaning! It’s hard for me to write like that but a fun exercise, indeed.
Great poem, Kim! Your kitchen is gorgeous, and the painting works perfectly there.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Thank you, Yvette. I lived with a horrible pink-tiled kitchen for about a million years until we did the Big Glover Gardens Kitchen Remodel, and I revel in it every day. My cousin was the architect and builder and I remain so grateful. https://glovergardens.com/glover-gardens-kitchen-2-0-its-been-a-minute-so-here-are-the-after-pictures-finally/
I made the mistake of only incorporating the given prompt line in the title and not the 144 words of Prosery so we have all been there Kim – the mistake gave us a great poem anyway…
Awww, thank you! I think sometimes perhaps our brains take us where they want us to be…
Love the poem and the painting, Kim!
Thank you so much! Don’t you just want to sit in that chair? 😎
I can feel it wrap around me.