Sher Poetry

Voicing and Sharing Poems from a Wide Range of Voices.

“A Woman Pulling Giant Aubergines From a Tree” by Sher Schwartz

click below to hear Sher read her poem…


A Woman Pulling Giant Aubergines From a Tree
	
	––after Unknown artist’s Watercolor with
	    Pencil (19th Century Kalighat Painting Bengal).


eggplants grow well in Bengal where eggplants
grow on trees shadow lights of Atman
huge violet globes could feed a village a week
eternity––as this sandaled maiden knows 
the red parrot strikes its curved beak hard as ebony 
bees seek––red flowers leak clear sweet nectar
the heaviest aubergine hangs low enticing, with sweat she’s thrown the wire
holding one wire in each hand, she saws at a limb-size stem––
red polka-dotted sari flaps in the wind––she stiffens––tomorrow
she marries––husband and his mother––
this gift––she must get the eggplant down
ah but she’s crushed when the aubergine rolls––
eggplants grow well in Bengal where eggplants
grow on trees shadow lights of Atman

I am grateful to the Light Ekphrastic for publishing this poem in 2023.

Afterward: “A Woman Pulling Giant Aubergines from a Tree”

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Sher Schwartz

http://sherpoetry.wordpress.com/

8 responses to ““A Woman Pulling Giant Aubergines From a Tree” by Sher Schwartz”

  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    LOVE this!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Sher Schwartz Avatar
      Sher Schwartz

      I am really glad to know you’ve enjoyed this poem.

      Like

      Reply
  2. chaichaiv Avatar
    chaichaiv

    Sher, I admire your beautiful and intriguing poem. I am hearing your (poet’s) voice loud and clear. Bravo.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Sher Schwartz Avatar
      Sher Schwartz

      Thank you for taking the time to read, listen, and comment. I appreciate your observations about voice.

      Like

      Reply
  3. annedfarley Avatar
    annedfarley

    A crushing life some women must live. Such a poignant poem — works without the art, but speaks so well to it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Sher Schwartz Avatar
      Sher Schwartz

      Thank you for listening and commenting. I found the art is in the public domain, and I liked it so well , I decided to go ahead and add it. Also since it is the inspiration.

      Like

      Reply
  4. ponderosad9077b927d Avatar
    ponderosad9077b927d

    Hi Sher,

    Again, thanks for the poetry! It was interesting to hear a poem you yourself wrote. I went and looked up a picture of the art online so I could see what you were responding to. May I ask why you chose that piece of art? Does it have personal or artistic significance for you? Also, did the woman in the poem survive getting crushed?

    I enjoyed your afterword as well.

    I hope you are being blessed with lots of birdsong and wildflowers!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Sher Schwartz Avatar
      Sher Schwartz

      Hello and thank you for your questions. I subscribe to an app called Daily Art. Each day we see a work of art that’s in the public domain, and some of these works inspire me to write. A Woman Pulling Aubergines is an example of that. I like the folk art nature or child art aspect of this painting –how the eggplants are huge and grow on trees and the woman is so small like we would see in a child’s painting. Other than this the painting brought up a story for me. And, in my mind, no she does not survive. In her striving and desiring to do, she is killed. Ah but in what way is she killed? Physically in the historical dimension or is the ego destroyed in some sort of ultimate sense. That’s part of the question pondered. p.s. you should be able to see the art in the post between the reading and the afterward. Thank you for listening/reading and for your thoughtful questions. Periodically throughout the year I will post more of my ekphrastic and other poems.

      Liked by 1 person

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