Edison Jennings

Blush

Annunciation by Jan van Eyck

Van Eyck piqued angelic skin
with just a breath of pink,
as if angels were our kin,

a painter’s delicate deceit,
carnal tint in an angel’s face,
to make our wish complete—

they’re much like us, but made whole—
and for a moment half believe
in flesh informed with soul.

 

About the writer:
Edison Jennings lives in the western Appalachian region of Virginia. His poetry has appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies, including Boulevard, Kenyon Review, Poetry Daily, Slate, and TriQuarterly. His chapbook, Reckoning, is available at Jacar Press.

Image: Annunciation by Jan van Eyck (1390 1441). Oil on canvas. 35.5 x 13.4. Between 1434 and 1436. Public domain.