Ekphrastic poems focus on works of art—usually paintings, photographs, or statues. Reading this one may cause you to remember a picture of your family. It may spur you to get together for a portrait with your next of kin. Or it may inspire you to write an ekphrastic poem of your own.
◊♦◊
The man in the hat
holds a toddler;
the boy looks dreamy.
An impish two-year-old
smiles
as if she is up to something.
The kindergarten kid sits pensive,
as if she’s thinking,
“How long do I have to pose?”
The eight-year-old wears glasses
and a look of intelligence.
She is wise beyond her years.
The proud mother stands behind her brood.
She may have known heartache,
but today she knows only happiness.
The man in the hat
turns 26 today.
May his smile last forever.
—
Thomas Mathis & family, portrait by Quin Studio, Sherman, Texas