Gerard Sekoto, Woman With Downcast Eyes (1955)

Blue Purpled Woman

Stepping away from sunshine
setting over open-air market,
blue face lost in contemplation.
Wishing to turn right, not left,
away from grandeur’s large-
knuckled fists, plate-sized
palms that visit carefully-hid
bits of now purpled flesh. Only
hawk eyes notice my wince
lifting bushels of persimmons.

His lips smack at the Snoek*, 
distracted.  Greasy fingers
ignore napkins, rubbing clean
on my second best work dress
instead.  My breath calmed by
this new life in red womb. She
will not dread in gilded cage.
Her wings will spread to sky.
He sinks Three Ships**, keels
to bed. I hone traded Okapi.***









*Snoek is South African smoked snoek fish.
**Three Ships is a South African whiskey.
***South African knife.

Note: Kim’s persimmons made their way into this poem. Thanks, Kim! Also “greasy fingers” is a lyric from Jethro Tull’s, “Aqualung.”

I am the host of dVerse’ OpenLinkNight. I’m also linking up with Melissa’s Tuesday’s Poetics Prompt, writing an ekphrastic to Gerard Sekoto’s painting.