Courtney: Ekphrastic Poem

American Gothic

 My enjoyment that day did not come through the paint,

“Would you mind if I paint your picture?”

I smiled and laughed while he painted our picture sharing stories of our farm, our life.

My pa rarely used the pitchfork,

It was weathered by Brother’s daily task of feedings.

There was talk about the mud and the heat and the plants,

Something the artist could not relate to his own life.

Upon completion the image was disheartening,

My laughter was replaced with stoic misery,

No sign of love and laughter, no stories of family or life on the farm.

To cement my betrayal, the image has become historic, heartbreakingly so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gothic