By Karen Kenyon
cc 3.0
DAPHNE’S DILEMMA
(for Bernini’s “Daphne and Apollo”
at Galleria Borghese in Rome)
Bernini
makes me cry,
but it’s not his
personal history
of course,
his anger,
his desire to murder
his brother,
his orders to slash Costanza’s face.
But it is his Daphne,
pursued by Apollo,
and
caught between
fear
horror,
and could there be desire too?
Such a crucifixion
of emotions —
wanting to get away,
to not be captured,
But then
to have her soft flesh become tree bark,
Her fingers
leaves,
To be forever rooted.
Karen Kenyon
Karen Kenyon is the author of Sunshower (a memoir), G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NY; The Brontë Family/Passionate Literary Geniuses, Lerner Publications, Minn. and Endeavor Media, London; and Charles Dickens/Compassion and Contradiction, Endeavor Media, London. She has features published in Newsweek; British Heritage; The Christian Science Monitor; and other publications. Her poetry has been in small journals, The Christian Science Monitor, and San Diego Free Press. She currently teaches for UCSD-X; SDSU’s Osher program; and SD Writers Ink.
Latest posts by Karen Kenyon (see all)
- ‘Seize the King’ at La Jolla Playhouse: Self-Righteousness, Greed and Lust for Power - September 12, 2018
- Our Fathers - June 16, 2018
- ‘Community Hero’ Attorney Steve Binder and San Diego’s Homeless Court Program - April 18, 2018
