Broad Strokes
An Ekphrastic Breakup Nonet
Handsome even with paint on your nose
Your plan to spice up our pale walls
With tangerine polka dots
Like orbs of your laughter
Then you stole the sun
All the colors
Except one
Grayest
Blue
About the Creator
D.K. Shepard
Character Crafter, Witty Banter Enthusiast, World Builder, Unpublished novelist...for now
Fantasy is where I thrive, but I like to experiment with genres for my short stories. Currently employed as a teacher in Louisville.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Keep reading
More stories from D.K. Shepard and writers in Poets and other communities.
Pearl
1980 something. we all hung out at Pearl and you and i were nothing special, or so i thought. i mean we all danced, drenched in our own sweat, our own saline solution of fear, too many beers, shots, laughter, tears, fucks in the bathroom and i don't know when we began to be afraid. do you?
By ROCK aka Andrea Polla (Simmons)5 days ago in Fiction
Comments (32)
Attempting to learn about nonet poetry. Beautifully Done DK. Guess I am learning from the best on Vocal.
And to think I missed this. Fantastic.
I am trying to catch up on my long-overdue reading. Sorry for being so late to the party, but what a deserving winner, D.K.! This is layered in metaphors with so much emotion. It is like an entire relationship just flashed before us! Incredible!
Oh wow, I'm not sure how I missed this! Love the play on colors so, so much. ๐ฅน Congratulations, D.K.! โบ๏ธ
Well deserved place in the challenge ๐โฆ this is one of my favourites ๐.
This is sooo evocative and breathtaking! That ending was perfect. So glad you placed DK!!
Back to say congrats, DK!
Interesting! From.such vibrancy to despondency. I love that you have used colour as a narrative vehicle . Great job. Congratulations. Really deserved win!
Okay, Kayleigh really hit the nail on the head with her comment on how this could really be dissected and analyzed in so many ways thanks to the brilliant way you used metaphor and color. This is an incredible poem, and an even more impressive nonet, Shepard!! CONGRATS ON YOUR WIN!! <3
You nailed this one DK! Mastery-levels of subtle but unmistakable messaging. Great poem to place in the challenge. Congratulations in the highest!
A masterclass in how to tell a story in metaphor! There are soooo many ways to interpret this! (Why do I feel like those tangerine polka dots are representing women he cheated with?!?!) Well done on thisโฆ I really love poems that can be interpreted a thousand ways and this is most definitely one of those ๐ฅฐ
Congratulations on your win - it's well-deserved!
I adore this.
Ooooft this one was so well done, D.K.! Congratulations on placing
Loved the use of colors in this one! Very well done, congrats on placing :)
Congrats!
Gorgeous. Congrats!!
Loved it!!! Congratulations on the runner up win!!!๐ฅฐ
Back to say congrats on honourable mention for the nonet challenge!! ๐ Way to go DK!!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! ๐๐๐๐๐๐
I concur with our contemporaries, sad and even though it was bitter, the tricksy writer in me loves the way you set us up for that ending with the hope at the start. Wonderful control of emotions through so few words.
Oh, this is sad ๐ฟ
Wow! You upped the ante to an Ekphrastic poem๐โฆ well done โ .
Oooo DK, this was good! I love the way you painted (pun intended) a picture of such a happy couple and then let it sour before our eyes!! So clever!!
D.K. I love how this begins as a sweet nod to romance and quickly broadens to show how all the light and color drains from the world when love is lost. Fantastic work!