An Uncommon Vision collage by Nick Reeves

What My Eyes See

bits of old newspapers, can’t read what they say
while an intriguing young girl is looking my way
layers upon layers and scraps upon scraps
artistic endeavor with a master plan perhaps

the longer I look the more my eyes see
there’s even pieces of old currency
faintly visible revealed a man’s silhouette
just above the cat eyes that look like rivets

there once again, I see remains of a word
one prominent section looks just like a bird
some colors remain pure while others they meld
handwriting and signatures with portions withheld

monarch butterfly fragments scattered about
is that an avocado or a stern man with a pout
the diagonal slice seems to have a resolve
separating that section as it attempts to evolve

‘uncommon vision’ down in the corner the title
as all entities converge to render it quite vital
paper, scissors, and glue just doing their thing
but the artist’s guidance makes this piece sing

——

An ekphrastic poem written in response to Experiments in Fiction Poetry Challenge #15: Ekphrastic.

• Definition: The word ‘ekphrastic’ comes from the Ancient Greek ἐκφράζειν (ekphrázein) , “to proclaim/tell in full.” As the etymology of the name suggests, the practice of artistic ekphrasis originated in ancient Greece, perhaps with Plato’s description of ideal forms in terms of real life objects in Book X of his Republic.

The Challenge: Write a poem in response to the featured image of this post, provisionally titled An Uncommon Vision. Of the work itself, Nick had this to say:

The piece is constructed on an 10×10 canvas and is multi layered and manipulated from cut outs/cut up National Geographic, postage stamps, letters and handwriting, postcards, some acrylics, tracing and tissue paper, etc.  It is, I suppose, a story – if a story is a way of working through something – and also a metaphor.