from Silent Pictures Recognize the World II Poem by Wanda Phipps

​16



bursting white pot

red pink purple blue

arcs of color

blue green white stones

pebbles circle the bottom

like jelly beans

ready to pop

color curling

out of the frame

bursting against red brick

the center a pink opening

artificial

constant

fixed gaiety

stiffens and freezes

her face in a

constant beauty

queen smile

stuck in a

mask of joy

one face

the opposite

of a hidden

one





17



red coiling

snake or

winding salamander

with blossoms

or the clubs

symbol on

a deck of cards

curls on

splotches

of brown

beige dingy

white walls

terraced rocks

boulders

and a diamond

patterned rug

outside corner

garden with

white wooden

door barred

out of nowhere

leading nowhere

unexpectedly

this secret spot

pops open on

the hilly streets

of a Spanish village

the spot

where we met

that night

where that

bit of night

sky fell on us

stars and all

near the church

scent of flowers

everywhere

green

except our patch

of dirt

site of kisses





20



a glowing circle

surrounds bare torsos

cloth falls in folds

and gathers around

a waist pale plaster

above anchoring back

bent in search

of contents

of a goblet

or in protection

from the hanging

tree limbs above

bare but menacing

dark lattice

blue/gray sky

bleeding through

one pale statuette

duplicated 3 times:

one standing

tipping her tiny

urn clutching

a goblet in her other hand,

one sitting cupping fruit

the third still

slightly crouching

fingers touching the

lips of her goblet

a trio of

ladies frozen

in motion

3 muses interrupted

a silver oval flashing

image of angular rooftops

bisecting the leg

of an antique chair

they stood

on the corner

he was yelling

she was

statue still

frozen in shock

fear sad recognition

noticing the sound

of a drill

breaking concrete

the quality of light

as his anger ran

over her