Laurentine G Poet Ekphrasis

Inspired by Francesco Gioli's Acquaiola

balance can be found in the offset
the heavy water jug your posture tilts for
      a mirror of the landscape
  sparse, endless, lonely

distant from the body
      swept up and onwards by the wind 

     all held together, poised
                hoping that's what saves you -
when you want, need, fear your knees will buckle
       everything to smash 
for  it  all  to  lay   in   p  i  e  c  e   s

where you decide you'll pick none of it up

never carry that weight again
never return to the place it all 
                                                      f
                                                      e
                                                     l 
                                                       l     
                                
    never look upon that ground
never feel so tightly held in place again
    so tightly bound
              as a means of survival

      just collapse
         and lay still a while
       feel the same wind, now as a breeze 
               feel what you held together ~ unbind 

       spin on the spot
           let your clothing flare
      take up space 

release.
every.
pent.
up.
emotion. 
that.
you.
thought.
needed.
holding.
in.

scream
    dance
    run
        sing

be free from balancing the offset
          free from the trek

roll down the hills laughing
smile whilst you
       cry-the-whole-thing-out

               let it go

stand unburdened 
don't carry it any further
you can let it go

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Fizza Bukhari April 4, 2026 at 2:40 AM The visual flow of this poem is breathtaking. I love how the words literally fall down the page to mirror the release of the burden. The imagery of rolling down the hills and laughing while crying is so powerful and relatable.

David Kavanagh March 16, 2026 at 12:30 PM Wow! Only you LG could interpret this painting with such words of resilience, not in the effort of carrying the water jug, but by metaphorically letting it go, I can sense that burden released, I love this (roll down the hills laughing smile whilst you cry-the-whole-thing-out) it really is one of those insane moments of laughing and crying at the same time, profound indeed, and a Fave! Cheers David Laurentine G March 16, 2026 at 12:44 PM a couple of my friends IRL were fired up for a bit of jug smashing when I shared this one haha! I think we often carry a burden too long without any concept of dropping it and seeing who we actually are :) I do actually like to schedule in a bit of rolling down a hill laughing - I might stick it on Italy's itinerary and see if any of my mates question it haha. Thank you for getting the vibe for this one and that fave - I'm delighted :)