Analysis has shown that originally this painting had a glowing orange sunset, which is partially what inspired me to write this poem. Beyond that, I find the colours, the body language, even the weight of the pumpkin tranquil. I can smell dirt, fresh air and greenery.
Of the artist, the Encyclopedia Brittanica says: “[Winslow Homer’s] subjects, often deceptively simple on the surface, dealt in their most-serious moments with the theme of human struggle within an indifferent universe.” More on Winslow Homer here.
More of my ekphrastic poetry here.
Contemplation
The moment, when startled
by the wind’s rustle, a butterfly’s dance,
perhaps the call of a crow,
you saw twilight coming on.
The moment, the weight
of chores, anxieties, lifted
by just a glance at the distance,
a sigh, knowing day was near done.
The setting sun, in that moment,
to you, was an orange
laying on the hills
like a pumpkin in a field.
The moment you considered
you were a shell of dust and air,
nurtured by sun and soil,
your seed and pulp concealed.
©elsp 2025
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