An ekphrastic poem is inspired by a work of art. Ariana Bonilla’s “Under The Same Moon” is inspired by Edvard Munch’s 1892 painting, The Mystery of a Summer Night.
In the heart of a summer night
the grasses sway and the moon swoons
over the sleepy town below it.
For she too wishes for a quaint life
though she knows she will remain a spectacle.
The moon, a warm lantern high
gazing over the lonely ocean.
For she too knows the feeling of desolation all too well.
Abundance of water and an abundance of light
she sits perched on the horizon pondering her time.
For has she missed too much?
The sun sees the life and those
who dwell under her warmth.
The stars hide away behind cloaks of darkness
In a void of space a single lantern sits.
Though alone she is not.
For the lonesome seek comfort in her moonbeams
and the wind sings sweet melodies
as she sits on the horizon.
The lonesome who sit together under the same moon
and bathe in her ethereal light crave the company of hers truly.
Ariana Bonilla is completing her junior year at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. She is Latina born and raised in South Florida. In this piece, inspired by Edvard Munch’s painting The Mystery of a Summer Night, she explores the themes related to beauty, unity, and nature.
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