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      December 22, 2022In a MomentJ.A. Lagana

      Image: “Humid” by Joshua Eric Williams. “In a Moment” was written by J. A. Lagana for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, November 2022, and selected as the Editor’s Choice. (PDF / JPG)
      any outdated certainty runs weak
      like a walker’s grasp
      as the dog,
      a greyhound or maybe the more reliable
      retriever,      momentarily splits       & in that second
      of letting go
      heads toward the muddied field
      with little consideration
      of whether it is best to stay       or to (momentarily) flee.
       
      Oh muddied footprints.
      Oh round circular trees.       Such beauty
      & freedom.       Such feeling.       In one split-second
      the charcoal spread of morning,
      the way a day leans toward grey.
      Ribbon       -swirl along illuminated horizon.
      What comes afterwards
      is anybody’s guess.
       
      The pause
      a mid-point.
       
      Consider how a life might play out.
       
      What is constant
      in a moment?
       
      A tree, the cement & tangle, the ability to let go.
      Storm & swivel & stream & doubt,
      scribble of ribbons, no bungle or reassurance—
      imagine       the       self,
      you—     rooted, blossoming.

      from Ekphrastic Challenge

      Comment from the editor, Megan O'Reilly

      “It’s difficult to capture a sense of motion, of momentum, with only words, and J. A. Lagana does it so effectively here, giving the reader the feeling of being right there in the ‘charcoal spread of morning,’ experiencing ‘the cement & tangle, the ability to let go.’ Joshua Eric Williams’ image strikes me as expressing both movement and stillness, and ‘In a Moment’ reflects that contrast. The tone of the poem, and the artwork, is perfectly summed up in its succinct and gorgeous last line–‘you–     rooted, blossoming.’”

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