The Ekphrastic Review
  • The Ekphrastic Review
  • The Ekphrastic Challenges
    • Challenge Archives
  • Ebooks
  • Prizes
  • Book Shelf
    • Ekphrastic Book Shelf
    • Contributors' Book Shelf
    • TERcets Podcast
  • Workshops
  • Give
  • Submit
  • Contact
  • About/Masthead

Procession in Fog, by Alarie Tennille

11/6/2017

4 Comments

 
Picture
Procession in Fog, by Ernst Ferdinand Oehme (Germany). 1828.

Procession in Fog

Squeezed out by the heavy feet
of mourners, an unearthly fog
rises from hell.  Day after day, the dead
pass my door, followed like a shadow
by those who can still pray or dig.

I think I see Mother,
and she’s been gone ten years.

Death, like a new pastor, busily
makes the rounds to every household
before winter.

I have nothing more to say to God
for myself, but ask mercy for parents
who plead, Please, Lord, please.
Take me instead.

Alarie Tennille
​

This poem was written for the surprise Halloween ekphrastic challenge.

Alarie’s latest poetry book, Waking on the Moon, contains many poems first published by The Ekphrastic Review. Please visit her at alariepoet.com.

4 Comments
Tammy Daniel
11/7/2017 07:40:55 am

One of the many things I like about Alarie's ekphrastic poetry is how she drops us into the art right out of the gate. There is an almost palpable weight in the artwork and she captures that straight away with the "heavy feet of mourners" squeezing "an unearthly fog" from hell. Love that!

Reply
Helen Moore
11/7/2017 04:16:58 pm

Yes, she drops you straight into the art but about the time you find your feet she drops you right out the other side into an idea you hadn't considered before. Every time I read one of her poems I have to catch my breath.

Reply
Sharon Valleau
11/8/2017 12:49:20 am

Just before reading this I read a call for prayer for a six year old boy shot five times in a Texas church. In that same shooting, 26 other people died. Tennille's writing has that uncanny way of connecting with universal fears, feelings, and experiences of the reader. She writes poetry about which the reader cares.

Reply
Tammy Daniel
11/8/2017 08:16:12 am

Sharon, I thought that same thing after watching an interview about the shooting yesterday on tv. So incredibly sad. And I agree about Alarie's universal connectivity in much of her writing. Not only does she write about things I care about, her poetry often makes me care about things that, perhaps, I had not considered before.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    The Ekphrastic Review
    Picture
    Current Prompt
    COOKIES/PRIVACY
    This site uses cookies to deliver your best navigation experience this time and next. Continuing here means you consent to cookies. Thank you.
    Join us on Facebook:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture



    ​
    ​Archives
    ​

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Lorette C. Luzajic theekphrasticreview@gmail.com 

  • The Ekphrastic Review
  • The Ekphrastic Challenges
    • Challenge Archives
  • Ebooks
  • Prizes
  • Book Shelf
    • Ekphrastic Book Shelf
    • Contributors' Book Shelf
    • TERcets Podcast
  • Workshops
  • Give
  • Submit
  • Contact
  • About/Masthead