Sara Fontaine

Poems & Short Prose

A curated selection of intimate poems and concise, reflective prose.

An overhead photographic view of a minimalist writing ritual: a slender notebook open to a blank page, a smooth black pen placed precisely along its spine, and a single sprig of dried lavender laid across the top edge. The notebook rests on a textured linen cloth atop a stone-grey table. To one side, a closed laptop with a subtle brushed-metal finish suggests modern essay writing, while a slim paperback of French poetry lies slightly askew on the other. Soft, diffused natural light from above eliminates harsh shadows, creating a calm, contemplative mood. The composition is clean and balanced, conveying sophistication and the quiet discipline of a contemporary French author writing in English.

Archive

A close-up of a single cream-colored page on a dark oak table, filled with neatly spaced English paragraphs and a few interlined French words, the ink appearing slightly raised and glossy. A black lacquer fountain pen with a gold nib rests diagonally across the margin, beside a delicate porcelain espresso cup on a saucer. The background fades into soft bokeh: an out-of-focus bookshelf with classic literature and modern essay collections. Warm, indirect evening light from a nearby lamp creates a gentle halo on the page and cup. Captured in photographic realism with a shallow depth of field and rule-of-thirds framing, the image feels intimate, intellectual, and quietly sophisticated.
A polished walnut writing desk in a Parisian-style apartment, its surface scattered with neatly stacked English manuscripts and a single open notebook filled with flowing French phrases. A slim black fountain pen rests beside a porcelain ink bottle, next to a small hardcover poetry collection. Beyond the desk, a tall window reveals blurred Haussmann rooftops. Late afternoon light pours in, casting long, refined shadows and a golden sheen on the paper. Shot at eye level with a shallow depth of field, the focus stays on the desk’s textures and pages, creating a sophisticated, photographic realism that evokes the quiet intensity of a French writer at work without showing any human presence.
An elegant still life of a vintage typewriter on a linen-draped table, a half-rolled sheet of English prose emerging from the carriage, with a few lines of faint, unreadable text. Beside it lie a leather-bound French poetry notebook, a slim brass reading lamp, and a pair of tortoiseshell reading glasses. The scene is set near a tall window, where soft overcast daylight diffuses across the objects, creating fine highlights on metal keys and gentle shadows in the fabric folds. Photographed from a slightly elevated angle with a balanced composition, the mood is contemplative, literary, and distinctly European, emphasizing the refined voice of a French writer and poet.