Image: “The Sound of Wings” by Gretchen Rockwell. “The Shape of Your Elbow” was written by Jack McGavick for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, June 2018, and selected as the Artist’s Choice.
Comment from the artist, Gretchen Rockwell: “What a difficult choice to make! I had a hard time with the decision, but ultimately I’ve decided to select ‘The Shape of Your Elbow’ as my author’s pick. I love the striking and vivid imagery and the poet’s use of noun- and verb-play in this poem, from pigeons blooming to that beautiful line about’everything’s milling the everything grist.’ Something about the visceral detail and sound of this poem hooked me—by the time I reached the final line, I too was searching for what I feared to be obscured, lost.”
