Submitted by Neil Ellman
(after the painting by Helmut Sturm)
Perhaps you could sense
his presence in a crowd
by the empty space he leaves
when seeming to be there
but not
like a field of darkness
among a billion galaxies
of light;
or you could
catch a glimpse of him
in a flash of lightning,
the spark of a flame
or a burst of light on a TV screen
never with a certainty
of what you’ve seen
for the eye deceives
and the mind creates
the phantoms that fill
our lives—
only in the setting sun
does he reveal
the blueness of his face.
About the Poet
Neil Ellman is a poet from New Jersey. He has been published widely throughout the world and has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize and twice for Best of the Net.
Painting: The Blue Phantom – Helmut Sturm
For the first time in nearly five years, Vita Brevis is closed for submission. Read the full story here.
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Loved the metaphors and love the wordplay.
I like the wordplay, too, in this ekphrastic poem.
Beautifully written, with wonderful imagery. Well done sir.