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

The Lacemaker, by Judith Brice

1/13/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
The Lacemaker, by Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands) 1669-1670

Intricacy of Calm
  
As my mother lay dying, body wracked in pain, day in, day out, 
her bed rested six feet shy of tranquility’s settling vision--
    a delicate depiction of beauty’s peace at rest.
The Lacemaker graced my mother’s nearby wall, portraying 
full elegance of repose— attentive rest while at intricate work.
 
Jan Vermeer’s painting begged any observer, even my mother, 
to close her eyes, watch her breath, slowly open them once more, 
     then take a broad glance at calm: 
the skill of twisting air to thread, of braiding silk from strands of wonder,    
or even spinning lace with unseen turns of thoughtful fingers.      
 
Where did my mother’s eyes rest 
when they looked towards that beige-boring wall? 
     Directly on the painting by Vermeer?
Perhaps they, as mine now do, focused
on the peace of the lacemaker’s hands, the serenity in her face.
 
I think of the memories my mother’s gaze may have evoked in her— 
maybe the time she learned from her own mother of tempered mastery, 
    the slow, elaborate patience required to sew. Could she ever   
imagine a time when I, her daughter, would recall that steady tenacity 
at stitching, the requisite resolve, I once learned from her?
 
Now, as my eyes peer anew at this very same Lacemaker, which today graces 
my wall, I breathe a spirit of quiet, of acceptance, its full thoughtful, repose.

​Judith Brice

Judith Brice is a retired Pittsburgh psychiatrist whose love of nature and experiences with illness inform much of her work. She has had over 80 poems published in journals and anthologies, including in The Golden Streetcar, Voxpopulisphere.com, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Magnolia Review, and Annals of Internal Medicine, among others. Judy has twice received the Editor’s Choice Award in The Allen Ginsberg Poetry Prize, sponsored by The Paterson Literary Review. Judy delights in four poetry books: Renditions in a Palette,  Overhead From Longing, and Imbibe The Air all published by WordTech Communications and  Shards of Shadows: A Covid Diary published by Impspired Publishing, the last two publications in January, 2021. ​ 
2 Comments
Mary link
1/13/2022 05:16:48 pm

Somewhere, Vermeer is reading this poem...and feels a new grace.

Reply
Daniel Brown
1/14/2022 07:11:35 am

Having lost my own Mom at age 99... She had a group of photos she would look at for solace. You wrote a heart felt reminder of those moments.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    The Ekphrastic Review
    Picture
    Current Prompt
    Picture
    COOKIES/PRIVACY

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Join us: Facebook and Bluesky
    @ekphrasticreview.



    ​
    ​Archives
    ​

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    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 [email protected] 

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