Woman with Flowered Hat
by Jean Dupas
Perfumed rainbow blooms within,
masked without by strained repose;
mind that’s gone around the bend.
Destination some may know,
riot ruffles, tongues that speak;
masked without by strained repose.
Normals titter, “dumb and weak,”
blockish shades who cast away
riot ruffles’ tongues that speak
volumes, writ large in red clay;
poems hummed by honeybees.
Blockish shades who cast away
look again; through windows see
gentle spirit, beating drum
poems, hummed by honeybees.
Tempted now to follow crumbs’
gentle spirit, beating drum-
perfumed rainbow blooms within
mind that’s gone around the bend.
*“Around the Bend” is the title of a Pearl Jam Song. It is a term usually used to describe someone who has gone insane or lost touch with reality. Here it is used in another way. Eddie Vedder wrote this song as a lullaby for Zach, the baby of Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons.
Ekphrastic Terzanelle form with ending type 2.
Grace is today’s host for dVerse’ Open Link Night. Grace has given us an optional mini-prompt, to write an ekphrastic poem using a lovely painting as our inspiration.
Tao Talk 
mind that’s gone around the bend
and
poems hummed by honeybees.
LOVE everything about this poem and mostly these two lines.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lillian, thank you so much.
LikeLike
I love the way you expressed it… a bit crazy, yes maybe.. but also a happy soul
LikeLiked by 1 person
<3
LikeLike
A beautiful poem Lisa!
:-)
Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Carol Anne :)
LikeLike
She does look a little on the wonky side. But I like to believe she is simply misunderstood but the generic folk. Beautifully done, Lisa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dale, she does have a strange look about her, and I’m guessing it’s a barrier that many wouldn’t care to look beyond. Thank you <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
Too many, I think :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the title, Lisa, as she looks a little deranged, and I do like a bit of Pearl Jam. I also like the form; the terzanelle is a tricky one with which to work. I especially love the ‘riot ruffles’ and ‘poems hummed by honeybees’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much, Kim!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, LIsa!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I want to believe she is a dreamer. Love this part of her:
gentle spirit, beating drum
poems, hummed by honeybees.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks much, Grace.
LikeLike
Beautiful poem, I like how you handled the thematic and included the repetition and all the nature-like scenery and sounds as well.
I am reminded of how in real life, if you have a hat of this kind and wear it – you might hear comments that you are crazy, and I just think its wrong that society as a whole is not really into hats, and especially not wacky hats, nowadays.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oloriel, thank you for reading and your thoughtful comment. It’s a world gone cray cray and even more difficult to navigate than it was before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She’s wearing her heart on her hat…I really like the “gentle spirit” of your words. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed, K, and glad you like the spirit of the words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your take on this image Li.
LikeLike
Sadje, thank you :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome my friend
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s true, she could be the personification of the expression ‘soft in the head’ :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
A little different than ‘around the bend’ but yes :)
LikeLike
Not quite round the bend, but on the way :)
LikeLike
Oh, she’s gone round the bend, but her head is still hard ;)
LikeLike
ha ha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“poems hummed by honeybees” that is so cool…that line with stay with me all day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
YAY! There is a place within us that is beyond words and the honeybees know where it is <3
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can visualize this in my head…such a graphic line.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to own the first four Pearl Jam albums on vinyl but I sold them! I must have been around the bend, because they are rare now!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What the heck, Glyn!!!!!! Why!?!? I’ve never owned PJ in vinyl but I have all of their CDs except for one that I think just got released and Gigaton which I have a digital copy of.
LikeLike
I love this! The form. Round the Bend approach. The unique Lisa touch. I love hats, wear them often ~~~ never giving a whit what folks might say, or think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Helen, I’m going to start calling you The Hat Lady <3 Happy you enjoyed the poem to this lovely lady wearing a hat. The artist is soooo good!
LikeLike
Dear Lisa, I am so sorry you experienced the loss of your husband .. I had no idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Helen, not sure what I said to make you think I lost my husband, but I lost him only to divorce. I was in a much more involved relationship from 2006 – 2017 that also ended, but no death involved, happily.
LikeLike
A lovely interpretation of this image, Lisa. I especially like the lines:
“poems hummed by honeybees.”
“perfumed rainbow blooms within”
:-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
<3 Sunra, thanks so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re most welcome 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great poem Lisa. I think one’s mind would have to have gone around the bend to wear something like that! :>)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dwight, I have enough trouble holding my own head up without trying to carry a hat on top of it lol.
I keep looking at her neck and how strong it looks to carry it. The flowers look like the ones you see on old seed packets. Her eyes have such a strange look to them. They are a beautiful mystery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is definitely an unusual painting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this “gentle spirit” just going about her life with “poems, hummed by honeybees.” 💙
LikeLiked by 1 person
Merril, I’m glad you see her that way. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Lisa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love where you took this with the inspiration and the form. An excellent combination that sparked deeper thought and empathy. We too often trod on what we don’t understand, ruining the appreciation of the beauty before us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anna, beautifully said. Thank you very much.
LikeLike
She is delightfully around the bend…and how wonderful. A lovely poem that is a tribute to those a little different who bring wonder to this otherwise dull world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Di, you got her! Thank you so much.
LikeLike
Lisa, your subtle shift in perspective really contributes to this beautifully structured poem.
<3
David
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks much, David. Glad you connected with it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
love the imagery, Li and the hat plays well with the picture/. 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed the image and the poem. I think the artist is fabulous and conveys so much in the painting.
LikeLike
Love the way you empathise with her, Li. ❤️
Being different is not easy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Punam. There are too many things that set people on the outs, that I think I’ve jumped the fence — or maybe I always was there?
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are very welcome. There or here are our demarcations, we just have to stop being too judgemental, I guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a beautiful poem
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful post 🌹
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike