The Secret, by Polly Giantonio

The Secret, by William Adolphe Bouguereau (France) 1876

The Secret  

Her shoulder, 
soft and full as a swan’s breast,
illumines homely features  
in graceful symmetry –
ivory beauty with reticent eyes, adrift,
and full, sealed lips. 
Behind – her sister, eclipsed
by her honey-suckle aura, mutes a reprimand. 
On the garden fountain
ledge, a child idly circles
his finger in water,
while her sister whispers  - 
               Father would be furious –
               but tell me, what was it like?

Polly Giantonio
​
This poem was first published at The Cafe Review.
 
Polly Giantonio's poems and work have appeared in various journals, including an interview published in Poets & Writers. She has been a long-time student of Prem Rawat, Ambassador of Peace. Polly resides in rural Vermont, USA.