During most of his dreams Pisanello is wide awake, painting his Madonna of the Quail. His concentration is broken only by the arguments of the Child and the quail.
Because of your earth-born body roses scatter – the quail begins.
Zero divided by zero is zero – the Child ripostes.
No gold leaf will erase your pain – the quail insists.
Yet, angels pay homage to my earthly mother – the Child retorts.
When the Child and quail argue the Madonna is never present. Most often she has stepped from the painting for a rest. I often wonder what she dreams of when she sleeps.

a boy
his mother’s face
retouched

Ekphrastic haibun based on ‘The Madonna of the Quail’, Pisanello. (c.1420)

Réka Nyitrai & Alan Peat