NaPoWriMo Day 22

The Dream by Henri Rousseau

Prompt: write an ekphrastic poems (i.e., poems that are about a specific work of art)

In 1910, Yadwigha finds herself asleep
Lying naked in the forests of Rousseau’s dream
From the ethereal lush bushes
Comes the snake charmer’s lullaby
Do you hear the 22 shades of green?
Can you feel the curious tiger’s eyes upon you?

When I first encountered the enigma,
Nothing could save me
Like the werewolf created from moonshine,
I entered the landscape,
Treading softly on the leaves,
crunch crunch crunch
I could hear the snarls
Feel the lurking shadows
Emerging and receding
In the landscape of eternally haunting beauty.

A thousand moments spent
In awestruck silence,
Until
I taught myself how to breathe again,
And stepped out of the scenery.

Artwork: The Dream by Henri Rousseau