Guitar Patchwork

Written for Tanka Tuesday where our host,
Melissa, has asked us to write a poem of our
choosing inspired by the art of Romare Bearden.
Here’s where the prompt took me.

Three patched men play their patched guitars,
Beneath a moon no bigger than a coin
Blue shadows, striped like prison bars,
Where paper hands and paper faces join.

Each figure cut from somewhere else entire,
Yet whole in song, assembled, rearranged;
The music rises, bright as yellow fire,
And nothing lost, though everything exchanged.

NAR©2026

This is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles

Learn about the painting here:

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 62, Romare Bearden, 4/28/26

^{Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}