Ekphrastic piece inspired by Stuart Pearson Wright’s painting "Wheateaters"
I lie betwixt thick layers
of accomplishment and regret.
Pressed wheat paralyzed inside a home
-grown purgatory, a place many have been
before me, though no one else
resides here now. The once-occupied chair
is swallowed whole by Pewter,
who now describes the taste of plastic
as putrid flesh drenched in chamomile.
How do people live such a long time,
drowning in dreamed-up
charcoal? without ever trying to dig.
And if that isn’t enough
to drag you down,
a familiar beast enters your skin,
hooking its claws around ankle bones
and memory foam. When you finally
acquire crud under your nails
you’ll wonder why you dwelled
for so long inside a place
you don’t belong.
Natasha O'Hara, a dedicated full-time non-traditional student, is known for her heartfelt poetry that echoes her deep love for language and the emotional resonance poetry carries. Married to her incredible wife and mother of three wonderful children, all on the autism spectrum, Natasha's personal journey has influenced her poetic expressions.