Poetry Challenge: Mona Lisa’s Smile?

This poetry challenge is about the smile of the famous Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.  The lady’s smile (and it has been said that she may not be all ‘she’ seems) is one of the most enigmatic smiles ever painted. To submit your poem or haiku which can be as profound, humorous, long or short as you like, either submit in the comments section here or send it by email to me and I will put it on this page.  You can use the logo on your blog – but please link to me:) 

Please note;-

The idea behind the challenges is to publicise Bookstains (as well as having creative fun) so therefore it is imperative that the poet link to Bookstains to further the challenge.

 In return the poem is copied to the challenges particular page and the poets own website mentioned with a link and the poem critiqued on not only Bookstains but also on the poets own blog or website.

 If you wouldn’t put the poem on your own blog, please don’t send it to mine and expect me to promote it.  This is a genuine challenge – please play fair:-) 

 The challenge is write a poem or a haiku about that smile, or the lady or the relationship between the artist and the lady.  Here’s mine:-

The Lips don’t lie

Shut up!

Already

Moaning!

Mona Lisa

As I try to

Keep the brush steady

With my ingenious strokes…

Whilst your countenance

Provokes

Me!

If only they knew

What a shrew

And a nag

You are

My muse,

And the amount

Of abuse

I take

As you smile…

Well, they would run

A mile

And not waste their sighs

Nor their wonderings why’s?

On your enigmatic smile…

If only they knew you…

Like I…..

Lynda M Roberts  ©2010

Poem No.2 is by artswebshow (kserverny) take it away K…..! please check out his fabulous blog here

Moaner Lisa.

.

Only one other woman ever smiled at me this way.

A repressed smile.

A prudent glare that wracks me with guilt, for a crime i have yet to commit.

her name was also Lisa.

The moaner Lisa.

And i wonder why i have to sit at night,

And contemplate how to shut you up.

.

“Do this, do that”

you neigh with that horrid half smile that say’s,

“get to work my dear domestic slave”

.

I reflect intently on my  lost youth.

Consider how to end this dilemna.

Divorce?

Or something more radical.

Anything to remove that infuriating smirk from your face.

Who am i kidding?

I will still take your smile to my grave.

Poem No:3 is by 47whitebuffalo – Check out her wondeful blog, full of artistic delights HERE

entering your court

alone, worn soles floor kissing

sharing silence smirk

own secrets lacking

you made all mysterious

pale reality

@wojcik

The 4th poem is from incomplete History and it’s our second Haiku!

A haiku:

Mona Lisa smile.
Scream! Scream two, scream three…last summer…
I know what you did.

 

Our 5th poem is by Patrick Seguin, he has a great blog full of original poetry please check it out!

Written and posted in response to Lynda Roberts’ Bookstains Poetry Challenge: Mona Lisa’s Smile

---

I’ve been dead so many times
that all the secrets of the grave
blur and roll and rumble
through my soft sideway stare
and impossible smile

beyond the flash and comprehension
of my fanny-packed audience
I’m not the spectacle
they think I am

just another ghost
stuck between limbo
and hell

wishing I could fade
into the cold mountains
at my back

or at least rise up
turn away
and relearn the pleasure
of strolling down
smooth winding paths
into the hard blue water
crashing along my shore

Our 6th contribution is from Abigail who does a Haiku every day.  Her blog is here

Mona Lisa’s smile
Her serene gaze dissipates
The twisted distance.

This one’s from Mark – who hasn’t got a blog but –

Mona Lisa smiles,
Leonardo da Vinci
wept and fell silent.

It’s never too late to enter my poetry challenges!  Here’s our latest contribution.  It comes from Chubby Penny whose poetry blog is a labrynth of very original poetry – please take a look!

Mona Lisa snicker
 
i didn’t know him well, in fact hardly at all
and i’d never before sat to pose.
his idea was silly, really off the wall
~to paint me on a stool without my clothes.
 
he said he was interested only in my eyes,
of course i knew there was something more.
his brushes and oil were just a disguise
and he wanted my clothes to drop to the floor.
 
i decided to humor him with a very sly smile
and sat there quietly while he wondered why.
but my lips were tightly sealed all the while
never telling him he’d left open his fly.
 
i never knew what the fuss was about,
people have questioned my smile for years.
yes, his fly was open but nothing flew out
or else i’d have been laughing until there were tears
 
so all this time I’ve heard experts bicker
about the real reason behind my smile
but really, I must say it was more of a snicker
and everyone missed it by a mile.

©Chubby Penny 2011