By Today’s (optional) prompt. In her poem, “Living with a Painting,” Denise Levertov describes just that. And well, that’s a pretty universal experience, isn’t it? It’s the rare human structure – be it a bedroom, kitchen, dentist’s office, or classroom – that doesn’t have art on its walls, even if it’s only the photos on a calendar. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write your own poem about living with a piece of art.
“The Painting by the Window”
It hangs—
crooked if I’m honest,
the nail never quite right
but I’ve left it that way,
like an unfinished thought.
A woman in blue
stands beneath a fractured sky,
storm swelling behind her eyes,
feet barefoot on a field of brushstrokes
that never settle.
She’s followed me
from apartments with leaky pipes
to houses with hardwood floors,
watching as I’ve grown softer
or maybe just more tired.
Some mornings,
I pass her without a glance.
Other days,
I stare back into her silence
and see my own name written
in the tilt of her shoulders.
She says nothing—
but I know every line
in the sadness of her dress.
She doesn’t age,
but I do.
We are companions,
co-conspirators in quiet,
two ghosts haunting the same frame,
waiting for someone
to ask what we’re still doing here.
About the Poem – “The Painting by the Window”
“The Painting by the Window” is a quiet yet deeply introspective meditation on the silent relationship between the self and a piece of art that becomes more than decoration—it becomes a companion through time. As the speaker confronts the stillness of the painting, what emerges is not merely an appreciation for aesthetic beauty but a poignant recognition of one’s own transformation. The woman in the painting, unaging and still, becomes a mirror for the speaker’s weariness, their longing, their journey. The poem subtly explores themes of loneliness, identity, and silent companionship, using art as both metaphor and memory.
This poem captures the quiet intimacy of our unspoken conversations with the objects that surround us—those silent witnesses to our lives that absorb our emotions, memories, and transformations. The painting, motionless yet deeply present, becomes more than decor; it stands as a silent companion to both sorrow and healing, much like the natural imagery and introspective moments woven throughout Silence From The Darkness: The Story Goes On.
In “The Painting by the Window,” the speaker sees fragments of their identity mirrored in the still figure on the wall—a reflection untouched by time, yet resonant with emotion. In the same way, the collection invites readers to uncover the subtle echoes of themselves hidden in stillness, shadow, and silence. Both the poem and the book explore the intersection of mental health and memory, using art and nature as pathways through pain, resilience, and rediscovery.
Silence From the Darkness: The Story Goes On is a symphony of emotion—woven with storms, sea spray, inner ghosts, and unbreakable bonds. Through it all, the story goes on.
Read more poems from National Poetry Month #NaPoWriMo