Ars Poetica is in its ninth year here on the west side of Puget Sound. Poets living in Kitsap, Jefferson, and Mason (that's me) Counties submit up to three poems to a jury of local artists who choose one or more poems to interpret in their chosen medium. When complete, the art is displayed in participating galleries, and usually culminates in author-artist events at the galleries, where the poets read their poems standing alongside the artwork inspired by their poems, and the artist speaks about his or her creation, and how the poem inspired it. This year, of course, everything is different and the displays as well as events have been canceled. Fortunately members of the Bainbridge Island Photography club have been connecting via email with the poets whose words they interpreted. Here is the beautiful digital photograph created by Chuck Eklund in response to my poem, "Drifting to Sleep." Drifting to Sleep We gather behind the curtain of imagination waiting in the wings as the orchestra conducts its overture before crimson velvet All our cares flutter toward the sky as our dreamtime ballet begins How quickly the fantastic takes shape beneath our star-fused eyelids galaxies glide through our minds like ballroom dancers spinning tales across the glittering floor and the universe bursts into story Here's what Chuck Eklund has to say about his art: This photo is set in Lake Brienz, in Switzerland. We hiked around the lake and spent the night in the village of Brienz. Even though it was summer, during the day it rained on the lake and snowed on the mountains. Amazing. The building, mountains, and growth are all around Brienz. The stars were beautiful that night. However, I didn’t have a tripod and could take only a limited exposure with camera balanced on a towel on a wall. No way to get the stars. The stars and Milky Way are from Idaho. I have always regretted not getting the stars in Brienz. Your poem made me think that I would combine the two images. Thank you, Chuck, for making such a beautiful photo. I definitely feel the flight into the dream realm as my eye is drawn to the upper edge of the photo. I'm glad we could share this virtually.
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In German, they call today Karfreitag (Sorrowful Friday).
Here's a poem I wrote in response: Bowl of Sorrows On Good Friday 2020 This morning I place an empty bowl atop my coffee table a vessel in which to pour our suffering and sorrows -- our beloved dead we cannot mourn together our ill and dying lying in isolation our elders in lockdown waved to from windows our incarcerated overcrowded and incited to riot our perilous pre-existing conditions our harrowed healthcare providers working in horror our first responders risking their families our homeless without a place to call or stay home our immigrants and refugees who can’t find refuge our fear of black men wearing masks our fear of everyone unmasked everyone who lacks the privilege to shelter in place the classrooms closed field trips furloughed the commencement ceremonies unscheduled the valedictory addresses vanished the college tours cancelled libraries locked the athletic seasons suspended the wedding festivities forgotten the dissolutions of marriage delayed the tempers flared the doors slammed the abuse behind curtains closed ever tighter the mutual understandings unraveling the first loves by distance fractured the workplace identity whittled away the blurred boundaries between work and home the emptying pantries and pocketbooks the layoffs and lost jobs the indecipherable applications for assistance the travel plans terminated border barricaded the birthday parties banished the beaches bunkered campgrounds closed the worship services via wi-fi the hugs held hostage smiles masked the stress-snacking and viral insomnia the gray roots exposed the ends splitting the things I cannot even think of The heartbreak of being healthy and happy the shame of sacrificing nothing for my safety No grief is too insignificant to acknowledge or too monstrous to mourn When Jesus suffered the unspeakable he pleaded for our pardon Before it was finished he fashioned a family Together we carry this bowl of sorrows |
I began blogging about "This or Something Better" in 2011 when my husband and I were discerning what came next in our lives, which turned out to be relocating to Puget Sound from our Native California. My older posts can be found here.
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