Ekphrastic poem by Jackie Craven
Lobster for Lunch, 21 x 30, Oil
After Mexico and before she died, my mother painted
a middle-aged couple in tie dye, seated in a tropical pavilion,
confronting a lobster. The lobster spreads its crimson legs
toward three papayas and a furry coconut. A pineapple
sends up spires. It’s a mystery why she gave the lobster
such huge claws and the people no hands.
Their impassive faces ask, Who will slice the fruit?
Who will open the shell?
The tourists might be my mother and one of the men
she almost married. The monkey drowses at the edge,
fondling an empty glass and a half-peeled banana.
My mother’s nimble fingers.
Listen to Jackie read “Lobster for Lunch”
SEE THE PAINTING: Lobster for Lunch
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