Ekphrastic Challenge, November 2018: Artist’s Choice
Image: “Eat Me” by Nicolette Daskalakis. “Placebo” was written by Jill M. Talbot for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, November 2018, and selected as the Artist’s Choice.
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PLACEBO
Coffee for headache, grapefruit for heartache,
blue for the weather and red for forgiveness;
hopelessness–may I suggest a bubblegum flavor?
Not all nutrtional lists cover psychic benefit.
Jung prescribed lemon for neurosis;
psychosis requires a dash of red pepper.
Plug your nose and wear swimming goggles,
be sure to pose and photograph—
share on instagram. As for existential despair:
some things still need to be left to cats.
Thanks for shopping with McFuture.
May we suggest you use your plastic bag
as a face mask?
—from Ekphrastic Challenge
November 2018, Artist’s Choice
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Comment from the artist, Nicolette Daskalakis: “It was difficult to choose just one poem, but ultimately ‘Placebo’ stood out to me because it captured the tone, humour, and critique of commercial culture I had in mind while shooting ‘Eat Me.’ I love that the poet addresses the commodification of ‘cures’ and looks at how our society’s never-ending search for a silver bullet to its ailments has only been amplified by the social media age.”
