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Mademoiselle Boissiere by Sarah Russell

10/16/2015

5 Comments

 
Picture
Mademoiselle Boissiere Knitting by Gustave Caillebotte, 1877.
Mademoiselle Boissière  

sits alone
knitting for Sophie's baby,
expected in the spring.
She doesn't think of Sophie baring
herself for a man, as she did once,
when roses dizzied her with summer,
how easy her petticoats lifted, how
afterwards they smelled of blood
and sweat, how she stumbled,
pushed the bolt to lock the door,
how those smells return
when she sees him in the square,
squiring his wife on errands
and feels her heart loose
in its stays.

Sarah Russell

Sarah Russell has returned to her first love after a career teaching, writing and editing academic prose. Her poetry has appeared in Red River Review, Misfit Magazine, The Houseboat, Shot Glass Journal, Bijou Poetry Review and Poppy Road Review, among others. Her poem “Denouement” won the GR poetry contest in February, 2014.  Follow her work at www.SarahRussellPoetry.com


5 Comments
Kati Nagy
10/15/2015 03:07:40 am

Stirring poem! It totally energizes the painting for me, giving it a searing impact.

Reply
Rose Mary Boehm link
10/15/2015 10:33:46 am

A terrific example of how to capture so much of life in a short and succinct poem. Powerful poem, wonderful painting.

Reply
Ryan Stone link
10/20/2015 01:01:44 am

Wow! So much captured with eloquence and style. Mesmerized from first word to last. Truly stunning, Sarah.

Reply
Sarah Russell link
5/5/2018 06:03:46 pm

Thank you so much, Kati, Rose and Ryan. I had not gone back to this poem after it was posted, so I didn’t see the comments. My apologies!

Reply
Absolutely wonderful poem. Shall never see this painting again without thinkinf of this powerful poem. Excellent. link
5/5/2018 06:15:37 pm

Excellent poem. Powerful. Brilliant 'answer' to the painting.

Reply



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