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

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman, by Janiru Liyanage

10/31/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman, by Rembrandt van Rijn (Netherlands) 1656.

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman

He peels and peels and unfurls your 
scalp-skin like an orchid does for 
a lovestruck bee, except, there is no 
love here
pink watery brain, almost spongey;
he holds a thin blade that slices
the light and slicks it through 
your entirety - the part of you that
named itself 
a man watches on, bowl in hand
For what?
what’s the bowl for?
he doesn’t answer
just watches - 
your face, shadowed dived into 
your dimples, hands positioned 
like your well rested
he points to your medulla and says:
see, the soul
he points to your hippocampus and
says: see, the hunger
which is almost true
but maybe, this was all for vain
who cares what you remembered?
the silver-dusted watch you left in 
Vermont while you undressed to learn love
the Bible you got as a kid to learn God,
from which you tore out all the pages 
about hell - what did you need with hell anyway?
what was waiting for you at the end was
sure to be filled with pearl clusters and 
grapes filed through your mouth - 
he pulls your limbs back
macabre museum exhibit
draws close your scalp
and tosses you back into the storage
to be pulled out again like a root
vegetable 
to be displayed again later
all around us, white light braids into 
a screen,
this, is maybe, heaven, and 
God watches on, learning anatomy

Janiru Liyanage 

Janiru is a fourteen year old Sri-Lankan/Australian student and poet who lives in Sydney. Aside from poetry, he loves maths and has received numerous awards in both national and international math competitions/olympiads. He is the 2019 junior winner of the national Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards and is also a prolific participant and winner of poetry slams. His work is forthcoming or appears in [PANK], The Journal Of Compressed Creative Arts & elsewhere. Having just begun his personal poetic journey, Janiru is eager to find his own voice in his work.
1 Comment
Karen
12/5/2020 03:58:20 pm

This is really interesring poem Janiri. It held my attention all the way through. I would like to see more of your poetry in the future.

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



    ​
    ​Archives
    ​

    March 2023
    February 2023
    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