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 Lactation of Saint Bernard, by ​Geula Geurts

7/17/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Saint Bernard and the Virgin, by Alonso Cano (Spain) c. 1650

The Lactation of St. Bernard

His mouth hangs open in round anticipation. 
This is how he prays: O Mary, your blood is milk. 
My dreams are drenched in doves. They coo, 
white froth on their beaks. They coo and become liquid. 
Is this not how the Holy One vanished inside you? 
Is your Son not made of the same pearly broth, 
halo of cream? I too am your son. 

The saint stamps his feet like a little boy. Impatient,
as if only yesterday he suckled his own mother. 
All this begging, what can a nursing Madonna do 
but yield? His balding head, pallid skin, could be 
mistaken for a newborn’s. And his bleached 
and hooded habit could be a muslin cloth. 

With one arm she holds her infant, while she places 
two fingers on her areola, squeezes—squirts. 
A lengthy stream of milk beams flawless into the saint’s 
wide mouth. Truly, a mother never had such range. 

​Geula Geurts

​Geula Geurts is a Dutch born poet and essayist living in Jerusalem. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Pleiades, The Penn Review, Salamander, Juked, Raleigh Review, Radar Poetry, CALYX, and Blood Orange Review, among others. Her lyric essay 'The Beginnings of Fire' was named a runner-up in CutBank's 2020 chapbook competition and is forthcoming with CutBank Books in Spring 2021. Her first full-length poetry manuscript Tiny Bones Glowing was selected as the first runner-up in the 2020 Red Hen Press Benjamin Saltman Award. Her mini chapbook Like Any Good Daughter was published by Platypus Press. She is a graduate of the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Bar Ilan University, and works as a literary agent at the Deborah Harris Agency.
0 Comments

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
    ​

    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