Lord Leighton's Solitude

Our dream big list
included travel to exotic places
like most of the continents
and art collections
we couldn’t pronounce

When it came time to leave
we had the wrong luggage
not only did it not match
we’d packed all wrong

Hers was filled
with inter-generational curses
and needless clutter
making it difficult to lug
around temples in Thailand
or white beaches in Greece

Mine was lightweight
with blank journals craving ink
and room to bring things home

When our ferries went separate ways
I started to make her a scrapbook
it would be a sad reminder
of all that we missed
together

Seeing Lord Leighton’s Solitude
jolted me back
there were similarities
Sienna shades of brown
relaxed Victorian breasts
but this figure had
what my beloved lacked
an elusive solitude
her soul would not permit

That enduring image
seared in my mind forever
it was so unlike her
I never sent it on

~ J. D. Mackenzie

(inspired by napowrimo prompt #6 writing poetry from favourite images)