for in this society

for in this society (an ekphrastic poem about “Wolves” by Sam Rueter)

the hand that grabs up her thigh

carries pain and humiliation

on her lips a singular finger lie

silencing her through intimidation

grabbed at the breast

the supple skin ravaged by lust

her naked figure undressed

though she remains hushed

they steal her glow

with their grasp and their gaze

a man and his ego

forever unfazed

though she holds onto her mind

as they gather around her frame

she is a woman they find

with a heart like a flame

she will rise from the depths

of their dark demented ways

they cannot steal her breath

the evil fails to decay

for in this society 

they say women are deranged

for in this society

the patriarchy remains unchanged

The poem above is an ekphrastic work about the painting  titled “Wolves” by Sam Rueter. Sam is a local artist living in Charleston, SC and she creates art inspired by the female experience and anatomy. ‘Wolves” spoke to me in particular because I feel that it perfectly encapsulates how life is as a woman in a patriarchal society. When writing about the painting, I chose to write about what was actually taking place in the painting (such as the hand up the woman’s thigh) and then added a bit more life to the story. The rhyme scheme present is truly very simple but I think the simplicity can be appreciated when talking about such a dark and complex painting.  For the writing, some of the first poetry that I read when I really got into poetry was that of Rupi Kaur and Erin Hanson. I think that I emulated some of their writing style into the poem, along with the choice of making the entire poem lowercase. The stylistic approach of lowercase letters brings a certain softness and femininity to the work.