Hope in a Hopeless World

Nina and I will be taking a break for a little while.  Nothing major, just lots of Things To Do.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some thoughts from Phil Roy.

#16 The Tower

The Tower—
sudden chaos burns
illusion–
destruction
releases unbuilds the self—
the questions remain

Sue Vincent’s photo prompt this week, above, immediately reminded me of the tarot card for The Tower.  At one point I had an idea to do all the Major Arcana in collage–I’ve done the Fool a number of times, and also the Wheel of Fortune, but I never got any further than that.  Still, the symbols and imagery are always a rich source of inspiration.  And this card seems particularly apt for the state of the world right now.

In a faraway galaxy (a long time ago)

I decided to challenge the Magnetic Oracle with a Rhyme Royal as per the dVerse prompt.  I had no idea where I was going to end up with either words or art.  After my word consultation, I arranged some monoprints in my bin in a few different ways and picked the photo of the one I liked best.  It seems I can’t escape what is going on in the world…

A vast blue rhythm haunted by a star
devoured by living in time’s darkest eye
Our home bleeds fire remembering the air
a foolish ghost with windows made of sky
sailing poisoned breath as oceans cry
we listen to the universe decay
and linger broken dying with each day

 

Friday the 13th (Remainders)

What do shadows cast portend?
Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.
The beginning has no end.
Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.

Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.
In the void all light is lost.
Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.
Reassembled, double-crossed.

In the void all light is lost.
What is seen is not revealed.
Reassembled, double-crossed.
What was known has been concealed.

What is seen is not revealed.
Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.
What was known has been concealed.
Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.

Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.
The beginning has no end.
Roll the bones, he said, roll the bones.
What do shadows cast portend?

 

Haunted

No clear path exists–
I see only haunted mist–
footsteps disappear.

The silence harbors ghostlight–
landscape of omens and signs.

Tanka for Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge.  I did a drip painting on some very wet rice paper, which ended up causing a hole in the paper.  I had to put it on some watercolor paper to stabilize it and left it there to dry.  So I ended up with three variations.

The top one is both layers together, the middle one is the rice paper alone (on black), and the bottom one is the watercolor paper with the color as it soaked through.

 

Evan and Luke

My cousin dressed in a lion suit holding up his new baby. Something about this photo just made me want to try to paint it.

I didn’t really get the slightly crazed look on his face but close enough. Happy to have painted this last night and today. Although life is crazy it always feels good to paint.

Sanctuary

Seed spirit with gentle moon songs–
a river of light
shining quiet paths through air

Listen as trees murmur secrets
to rock cloud bird and sun

Let earth follow the sacred seasons–
growing fertile in peace,
alive and full rooted–
a sanctuary of hope

A quadrille of hope for De at dVerse and all her fellow Las Vegans, with the usual wise aid of the magnetic Oracle.

 

Draw a Bird Day: Hawk

We’ve misplaced our wings.
The shape on the window ledge–
how it flies!

Not quite yet lighter than air,
you are rising from the grave of pain.
We’ve misplaced our wings.

Skimming the surface of a wistful longing
I hover, shrouded in myself.
The shape on the window ledge

Waiting, watching.
Soundless, suddenly gone–
how it flies!

Being currently obsessed with monoprints, I had to try it with a bird.  I had just seen a red-tailed hawk out the kitchen window on a window ledge across the street from a friend I was visiting.  No matter how often I see one, it’s always thrilling.

The poem is another cascade.  My friend is well on the mend from a summer in and out of the hospital, and it seemed to me a good sign.  But don’t we all long for such majestic wings?

The Sukkah

Kerfe reprimanded me in her gentle way for not posting all week. I apologize. It’s been a stressful week as my husband is moving to a group practice and we’re facing some challenges.

My neighbors built their sukkah yesterday and I told the kids I’d paint some of the symbolic fruits and leaves that can hang from the rafters. Here are some that I made for the kids to cut out and hang.

I will post a bird tomorrow for Draw a Bird day. I have been loving what Kerfe has posted this week. She’s a genius.

Currents

Monoprints and words for Sue Vincent’s photo prompt, below, in consultation with the Magnetic Oracle.

listen to the shadows
breathing light
filled with ancient suns–
a murmur of stone
between wandering paths
of tree spirits and secret air

Also linked to dVerse Open Link Night.