Poems inspired by paintings

 

This was written for a Poets Meet Painters Competition and published in an anthology for winner/shortlisted poems. 

It was inspired by a painting by contemporary artist Nicola Slattery titled Sleeping Woman. 

Unfortunately I have no image of the painting, but you can check out her website or google Nicola Slattery-sleeping woman

https://www.nicolaslattery.com/

Sleeping Woman

Wrapped in a patchwork

the woman dreams of a farm divided

from son to son

and crafts it whole again.

 

Its boundaries and banks neatly stitched,

she works the soil into holdings of forest and fallow

and russeted crop and verdant green pasture

and, in places, bright crimson petals boldly sewn.

 

And in this way she claims back

 a daughter’s inheritance denied.

The only sheep she can tend, the ones she counts,

as she falls asleep at night.

 

Copyright with Cathy Leonard 2017