An Ancient Fantasy, by Anna Evas

St. Anthony before His Field of Crops, by Circle of Paul Bril (Rome, b. Belgium) c.1554-1626

An Ancient Fantasy 
sold in 2011 for 4,750 GBP

Outside his burrow, a hermit breaks 
from tending herbs and cabbages,
and leans on his staff with a Psalter.
Purple iris bend to listen.

On the soft ground, two artichokes
pray chop them into soup, change them
into flesh by the gardener’s thanks.
Distant mountains shoulder heavy

sunbeams, turn a venerable teal.
They nurse at their feet a tinseled stream
with trout and minnow. Evangelists 
(one could believe) appear as off-

shore birds. On Mt. Pispir, the saint
savors his ruminant poverty,
though a canvas drizzled with paint might, 
in another world, sell for millions.

Anna Evas

Anna Evas: "Published internationally in literary journals such as Irises (The University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize), Long Poem Magazine (English), and Michigan Quarterly Review, I work as a lyricist, recording artist, and composer."