Inspired from the poem “Craft,” by William Pitt Root
She begins with the bowl not the fruit,
the curve that will hold it.
Containment first, always.
Then the light— thin as gauze,
trembling against the wood.
She waits for it to settle,
the way a confession does.
Lemons next, bright as bitten laughter.
Grapes cluster like secrets,
each one slick with wanting.
A pomegranate waits— its heart a closed door,
its red a warning.
A knife gleams, patient.
She mixes yellow until it hums.
No, not hums—
remembers warmth.
That’s the trick.
To make pigment ache like memory.
Hours loosen, the studio brims
with stillness—
a paradox she wears like perfume.
Each brushstroke
is a breath she didn’t mean to hold.
When the painting is done,
the fruit begins to rot in its bowl.
She lets it.
Decay, too, is part of the lesson.
Outside, the light abandons the window.
Inside, a bowl keeps shining
where nothing ever moves.
Photo credits: Pinterest
Lisa hosts on dVerse where she invites us to use one or more definitions of craft
or craftsperson-ship. Come join us! 💛
Posted for Poetics: Getting Crafty @dVerse Poets Pub
29 Responses
Love this, to me it makes the still life come to life in the way it’s created… and what happens outside the canvas
Decay, too, is part of the lesson
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
I like how you gave a personality to each aspect/subject of the painting. The final juxtaposition of the fading natural light vs. the painted light was exquisite
Thank you so much, Imelda 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
A gorgeous craftmanship poem, Sanaa! I love the way you describe light: ‘thin as gauze, trembling against the wood’, the lemons ‘bright as bitten laughter’, and the grapes that ‘cluster like secrets’. These lines are stunning:
‘She mixes yellow until it hums.
No, not hums—
remembers warmth.
That’s the trick.
To make pigment ache like memory.’
Thank you so much, Kim 😍 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
the most fabulous still life – beautifully crafted Sanaa, not a word wasted right up to the final line.
Thank you so much, Laura 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
I really like the process note like description of how an artist creates a still life painting. I like the following lines because they seem to follow how a poet does similar work.
“She mixes yellow until it hums.
No, not hums-
remembers warmth.
That’s the trick.”
It’s kind of like doing a play-by-play analysis of the work. I really enjoyed this. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much, Aaron 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
Sanaa, you have outdone yourself with this poem that was inspired by the William Pitt Root poem. There is no corner, no curve, of this poem that I do not adore. Put this one in the keeper folder <3
That is such high praise! Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
(and thank you for the lovely prompt) 🥂
How beautiful – you brought the at to life 💕
Thank you so much, Ange 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Sanaa, your poem is an exquisite work of art ~ achingly beautiful. This artist doesn’t just throw paint on a canvas, each tiny detail is carefully chosen, she is amazingly patient and chooses beautifully descriptive words. Sigh ~~~~~~~
Thank you so much, my dearest Helen 😘 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Wonderfully crafted art. I smiled at the rotting fruit part of the lesson.
Thank you so much, Truedessa 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Beautiful, Sanaa! Written like a true artist! I love the progression and the decay at the end. Lovely images.
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
You are flying up the ranks, girl. Exceptional.
Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
You are not only the writer of your poem here, but also the director, directing each camera angle, each scene, for every stanza is a scene…and of course you are the painter of your poetry, and like those great masters, your words bring the still piece (?), the setting alive.
Thank you so much, Ain 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
As a painter as well as a poet, I really enjoyed this meticulous but luscious dissection of the painter’s process of still-life painting, Sanaa. I grew up in Oxford where The Ruskin School of Art teaches only Still Life and Life Drawing – very old school but such a good discipline…
That’s amazing! Thank you so much, Andrew 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
An exquisite poem, Sanaa. I especially loved
“Hours loosen, the studio brims
with stillness—”
Thank you so much, Dora 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
A very interesting response. I enjoy the tension you build for the reader, the bright and vivid imagery and color you employ.