Poetry
Four
her sloped shoulders,
solemn face,
heavy ornate dress,
puffed sleeves
stiff turban
their names forgotten
repeated
he holds her
thumb
with three digits
in a ninth of the frame
madre
“come, watch
me
delicate
golden-haired
barely there against her
hip
in the bottom left quadrant
his desire
A Young Woman, Bronzino (1540)
oval face and
fashion of
ornate: large grey eyes motherhood
the jeweled snood
embroidered stomacher hand rests to keep
fine gold link bracelets
a black ribbon forms a pattern snug
lavender-
match: rose pulled back
splashed shoulder wings
lace-bordered collar
picot-edged apron
pearl-white French blue
little hand in big
little proud and little playful
smile the same
Little Daughter, de Vos (1620-25)
father : son :
Adriano : mother : daughter
he loved hair back,
turned to gold
parted
jeweled
hair
white and gold
blood-orange velvet
gold hems
amber beads
a curious fur, the head
of metal
large brown eyes
white lace
a miniature of her mother
auburn hair gold braid
Porzia, Veronese (1556)
distress marked
out of the shadow
and tenderness
in dark
brown ink past the cupboard
wrapped in blankets
forearm support skirts swirling
comforting small
pressed close,
before the great
son of a painter poverty
before space
into the blank white
“the difficult years”
love
in full light
her serene face
Saskia, Rembrandt (1636)
Contributor
Jessica SmithJESSICA SMITH has authored numerous chapbooks including, most recently, mnemotechnics (above/ground press), and one book, Organic Furniture Cellar (Outside Voices). Her second book is forthcoming from Chax Press.
