Poem of the Week

The Luncheon of the Boating Party
Sam Bergstrom

an ekphrastic poem based on the painting
The Luncheon of the Boating Party
by Pierre-Aguste Renoir

The red striped awning
shades their white soft skin
from the sun.

After all the food is eaten
bottles and empty wine glasses
sit on the tables.

The sailors lean against railings and sit
backwards on the chairs.
The women drink red wine, admiring
the lap dogs.

Taking a break
from the boating adventure,
the water waits for them
behind the grass and the trees.