“Turning,” An Ekphrastic Poem

6/19/25

On occassion, we make space here on the SGTI blog to highlight the work of our students and alum. Today we have the privilege of sharing the work of AnnMarie Fore with you. Her poem is based on the artistic work of Marc Jones. A picture of his painting is below, used with his permission.

Painting by Marc Jones

I pine for light from the belly of ache.
Earth quakes in my chest
rumbling beneath the surface.
As breath rises and falls
moon-tumbling tides
swallow me into lush, endless waves
of dense, disorienting forests
obstructing view of the other side.

Between spires
resolute shadows
threaten to erode a history of undergrowth.
I want to scream between each fir
but fear my voice will be reduced 
to another censored cry.
I sob into the blue eyes of spruce.

Curving the bend
I behold a torch of radiance
huddled community of amber waving aspens.
Unity inflates their honey blazing breath
and stream pillars of sun within me.

I, once consumed,
now, my joy spewed
across this montane view.
Resilience smiles
over stark defiant Rockies,
like golden eagle's wings
reach beyond devastation’s horizons.

I bend toward that greater arc of Light
catching my eye.
Rest here at the edge of our grove,
they whisper
until I remember
joy is my birthright.