The Slowness.
Poetry is not a speedy thing.
I gather notes, write something out of that jumble every once in awhile, then send in a few submissions - also, every once in awhile. Poems appear and change and go through edits and get submitted/approved/rejected at their own wandering pace. So……slow? I guess, but acceptably so.
Along those lines, the process finally sped up: I have gotten a couple of poetry submissions accepted recently.
The Bards West Poetry Anthology will be out in a couple of weeks. Yay! The Fall 2024 edition has a themed around places of the West Coast and will contain my poem “The Gift” — describing a solo hiking trip I took in Oxbow regional park last year.
The second of those acceptances was from Certain Age magazine. I’m pretty happy one of my poems will appear with them, it’s a new discovery for me but a good one. I’m finding there’s always something soulful to read in their poetry section! My poem is currently expected to be published there on December 18. I’ll let your know which one, and send you a link, once it’s live.
"Breakthrough" - A drawing I'm working on, and playing with digitally. Slowly, of course. More later, on this series of experiments.
nameless
who is this that can’t keep still?
with my two hands, my cup moves--
my life, the breath in me gives rise
on its own, beyond my will.
there’s more than I can know, so I
imagine softest gasps of green,
that harmonize with autumn song
which sings, I know, from here to sea
and back around the mountain sky.
above cloud-dusted oaken crowns
a distant vision: a silver bridge.
here, leaves fall, released and free
the ease of light and gravity
deeper than the edge of life.
the river in my cup of tea,
set into unceasing flow, so I
trace the cycle of bloom to freeze
and paint a circle around this
imperfect, impermanent
nameless world.
This was, and is, a very slow painting.... of the Flammulina velutipes mushroom, and an unidentified species of snail paying a visit.
at Village Gallery of Arts:
Still President. Still writing newsletter intros. Meetings, emails, and phone calls continue…along with being steeped in the workings of a non-profit organization, plus enjoying all the art friendships!
I will say, one of the occupational hazards of this position is constant exposure to beautiful creations, like the wooden bowls and things that Allan Wells has the audacity to constantly make. Yikes, my wallet! Anyway, he’s the featured artisan for October, so please buy all his things before I do.
I have something autumnal there too, a framed watercolor of two mice balancing, and doing-very-well-thank-you, scurrying through the carefree disarray of Autumn. (You’ll find October to be a particularly good month at VGA because it’s an Awards show, which means everyone’s got their best stuff up! Stop by if you can.
As promised, rodents:
“Two Mice”, Watercolor and gouache, with impressions of leaves and ferns on paper, 8" x 10", matted and framed to 10" x 12". $135, Available at Village Gallery of Arts through October.
I hope this email brought you a smile.
Enjoy the slowness of autumn - watch the leaves fall.
‘Till next time,
