Cracked Ekphrastic

Cracked Ekphrastic

Gary Day

Fra Angelico, The Annunciation, 1432-3

In the top left corner
The first Jack and Jill
Come tumbling down
The hill. It is not they
Who disturb
Mary’s reading
But the winged messenger,
Materialising between
The slim columns
Of her pavilion.
Mortal and immortal arch
Toward each other,
Heads halo-bright
Faces radiant;
He a shimmer
Of pink and gold,
She lucent
In blue and red.
Above them
A roof of stars,
Around them
A firmament of flowers.
Their mouths unfurl
Shining scrolls of words,
Plaiting time and eternity.
The book about to slip
From the virgin’s thigh
Will never fall.

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Gary Day
Poet & Teacher

Gary Day is a retired English lecturer with a lifelong intetest in Christianity. His books include Literary Criticism: A New History and The Story of Drama: Tragedy Comedy and Sacrifice from the Greeks to the Present. His poem Anne Bronte's Grave was highly commended in The Artemesia Poetry Competition 2024 and his poem about Daffodils was shortlisted for the Vole Competition Autumn Makes Me Sing 2024. His poem 'Your Call is Important To Us' has just been published in Acumen magazine.

Artwork by Filippino Lippi (Italian, 1457-1504) - “The Annunciation”