In a Hotel Lobby

She waits, her legs tucked in demurely,
an open book in her hands,
but she doesn’t see the words; one eye
is on reception, its counter
polished and bee-wax-scented. Surely
he isn’t late?

The couple on the other
side of the late-night hotel lobby
look married; he stands,
coat draped over arm while his seated wife
tries to catch his eye.

And then the book
droops, just like her eyes.
She shakes her head –
it’s getting late – and then she sighs.

She can’t afford to stay
in this hotel, not even for one night,
and she considers catching
the late bus home. Across the city,
couples flirt in late night bars,
while she despairs of love stories.

And suddenly, there he is. A little wave, a smile;
she knows he’s her man, handsome and shy.

Kim M. Russell, 26th October 2024

Hotel Lobby – Edward Hopper 1943 found on wikiart.org

It’s Thursday, and Sanaa is our host for Open Link Night at the dVerse Poets Pub, where we to link one poem of our choice, for which there is no specific form or theme. However, our host gives us an optional mini prompt if we are looking for a little inspiration.

Today, Sanaa has provided an image to inspire us. She says we can either write an ekphrastic poem or use the title of the image as part of our poem: ‘Hotel Lobby’. For further inspiration, she has shared a poem by David Caplan.

I decided to go with the ekphrastic option, which developed into a narrative poem all on its own.

41 thoughts on “In a Hotel Lobby”

  3. A most gorgeous ekphrastic poem, Kim 😍 I love the poignancy in “Across the city,
    couples flirt in late night bars, while she despairs of love stories.” 🩷🩷

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  6. I love this mini-story, Kim. It’s so vivid! I can imagine it as part of a larger piece because I’m wondering who they are, and why she was waiting in a hotel lobby for him. I’m glad the young man showed up. I wonder if he’s a soldier.

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    1. Thank you, Ain. I agree about the Hollywood film vibe in the painting. I’ve always had a soft spot for Hopper and used his artwork as inspiration when I taught English – and got a few excellent pieces of writing out of my students too,.

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