The Inadequacy of Triangles

Today is the warm up for NaPoWriMo - the annual challenge to write a poem a day throughout April.  Their prompt was to be inspired by a work of art, for example a necklace found in Tutankhamen's tomb.  By itself it wasn't a strong enough prompt,  but together with the Isolation Gallery's prompt of the day - "Triangular" - and a YouTube video I once saw on how to make yourself look thinner in photographs, suddenly it all came together. 


The Inadequacy of Triangles

Ancient Egyptians drew themselves standing, sideways on, 
Stick thin, arms raised at angles to their bodies, 
Captured forever, flat against the walls of their tombs,
Two dimensional,  no flesh on their bones
To make them individuals.  

Young girls stand three-quarters on to the camera, 
Stick thin, they raise one hand to their head, 
The other to their hip, two triangles to appear even thinner, 
Their assumed blank smiles one dimensional; no originality
To make them individuals. 

I prefer the fleshy honesty of a portrait, 
Full face, three quarters, profile - it makes no difference. 
The act of sitting takes time; muscles relax, the gaze turns inwards.
The body assumes its true three dimensions,
Revealing the individual. 


© Copyright 2021. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved

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