Woman Writing a Letter, With Her Maid, by Neil Creighton

Woman Writing a Letter, With Her Maid, by Johannes Vermeer (Netherlands). 1670-1671.

Woman Writing a Letter, With Her Maid.
Johannes Vermeer.

The light from the window
shines richly on
the contrasting, chequered floor
and on two different women.
One bends from the light. 
The other turns to it.

In the foreground, 
with brooch and pearls,
head bent to her letter,
face partially obscured,
the privileged one sits, 
writes to her lover,
face strangely impassive,
a blankness beyond the moment.

Behind her, unadorned, 
standing, dressed in plain grey,
arms folded in practised resignation,
her servant girl stares 
out of the window
into the middle distance,
mouth open in a secret smile,
lips parted, lost in a private moment 
of recollected delight.

Neil Creighton

Neil Creighton is an Australian poet with a passion for social justice and a love of the natural world. Recent publications include "Poetry Quarterly", "Silver Birch Press", "Praxis Online", "South Florida Poetry Journal" and "Verse-Virtual", where he is a contributing editor. His poetry blog iswindofflowers.blogspot.com.au