Digital infrared photo of artichokes past their prime in Paris

Autumn Artichokes – An Ekphrastic* Poem (One Shot Story)

By Dave Powell

25 July, 2025

Post Categories:

One Shot Story
Leave a comment (8 Comments)

Share this post:

Past their prime
in a Paris garden.
Abandoned artichokes.
Wrapped in brown
against autumn winds.

Forgotten. Inedible.
Suitable now
for fall arrangements.
Or compost.
Grieving almost
for their lost
green beauty.

Reminding me
of my own
greener days.
As cold autumn
wraps me too.

But unlike mine,
their fluff
and spikes
still shine warm
in my camera’s
infrared eye.

* “Ekphrastic” poems are inspired by works of art.
In this case, by a Nikon CoolPix 990 IR photo.

–Dave Powell is a Westford, Mass., writer and avid amateur photographer.

Share this post:

About The Author

By Dave Powell
Trained in mathematics, physics, computer programming and science journalism. Retired mathematician, award-winning technical and journalistic writer. Past winner of an international business-journalism equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. And past author and editorial advisor for Sesame Street... where I regularly worked with Jim Henson and Kermit! Now enjoying "retirement studies" of photography, quantum physics and "scientific spirituality." (And restoring a shamefully lapsed relationship with the piano.)
Read More Articles From Dave Powell

Find more similar content on 35mmc

Use the tags below to search for more posts on related topics:

Donate to the upkeep, or contribute to 35mmc for an ad-free experience.

There are two ways to contribute to 35mmc and experience it without the adverts:

Paid Subscription – £2.99 per month and you’ll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).
If you think £2.99 a month is too little, then please subscribe and I can manually edit the subscription value for you – thank you very much in advance if this is what you would like to do!

Subscribe here.

Content contributor – become a part of the world’s biggest film and alternative photography community blog. All our Contributors have an ad-free experience for life.

Sign up here.

Make a donation – If you would simply like to support Hamish Gill and 35mmc financially, you can also do so via ko-fi

Donate to 35mmc here.

Comments

Gary Smith on Autumn Artichokes – An Ekphrastic* Poem (One Shot Story)

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

Cool shot David! What was the nm rating of the IR?
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Dave Powell replied:

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

Many thanks Gary! It was a 720 nm.

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Gary Smith replied:

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

Thanks!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tonn on Autumn Artichokes – An Ekphrastic* Poem (One Shot Story)

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

All the promise of sweet Summer
lies, locked... in the untasted fruit
and photos, growing softly dimmer....

(sorry its not as good as yours)

Liked the photo too, never tried IR, looks wild.

Well done on both accounts. :-)
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Dave Powell replied:

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

Hey Tonn... don't sell yourself short! Your poetic response was beautiful. Thanks so much! -Dave

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Jukka Reimola on Autumn Artichokes – An Ekphrastic* Poem (One Shot Story)

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

I don't know much about poetry, but I liked yours. I liked it a lot! Nice photo too.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Dave Powell replied:

Comment posted: 25/07/2025

Thank you so much, Jukka! ;-)

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Geoff Chaplin on Autumn Artichokes – An Ekphrastic* Poem (One Shot Story)

Comment posted: 26/07/2025

Oh dear "...greener days", "autumn wraps...." I'm there with you Dave. Thanks for reminding me!! But lovely shot and poem. And on the way we've learned to appreciate food and beauty in all its forms.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Still, Like Yesterday by Eagle Omomuro

17 July, 2025

Still, Like Yesterday – One Shot Story

By Eagle Omomuro

My wife and I were seen as the lucky ones when we settled in Tasmania. We called it the great escape. Imagine this: fewer than six hundred thousand people living on a land of si...
Read More
Paper in water

16 July, 2025

Potty Pareidolia – One-Shot Story

By Dave Powell

Doesn’t every photographer hope to find an undiscovered niche? Something still un-tapped? I may have just: In what I dub “Potty Pareidolia”! Specifically, clean toilet paper tha...
Read More

14 July, 2025

Confronting Nonsense – One Shot Story

By Eagle Omomuro

Somewhere near the heart of a no man’s land on the Tibetan Plateau, China. The place is called Lenghu, which means Cold Lake. It was cold. Even in June, under a blinding sun, I ...
Read More