Here is the image of the fresco panel for one of the seven virtues, from a photograph taken by Laura Purdie Salas, who holds the copyright to the photo.



The fresco panel in question depicts "Temperance", painted by Mark Balma on the ceiling of Terrence Murphy Hall at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis. You can read more about the art and what it means for the artist and others here, if you're so inclined. Atypically, I didn't go looking for it until it was time to write this here post. Go figure.

This marks the second, but not the last, time that my poetry sisters and I will be doing ekphrastic poems this year - we are doing an every-other-month thing with ekphrasis. The last ekphrastic poem I wrote with my wonderful poetry princesses was "On the Shoulders of Giants". That post includes a link to an explanation of ekphrasis.

by Kelly Ramsdell Fineman

When so little makes sense—
a wolf in monk’s clothing,
a blindfolded monkey,
a pig holds up the world (an offering
or a confession?)
Marilyn Moncrow, Cyndi Larkper,
and who can tell what she sings,
if she’s happy,
if she’s free.
When it’s unclear what can be
trusted, what is true,
it is to the birds we must look
for knowing, for holding down
the corners for us all.

Laura gave us our choice of two frescoes - this one and the one for "Hope" - and you can find the poems written by my fellow travelers below:

Laura Purdie Salas
Sara Lewis Holmes
Tricia Stohr-Hunt
Andi Jazmon
Tanita Davis
Liz Garton Scanlon

You can find other (unrelated) Poetry Friday posts at the lovely Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's blog by clicking the box below.