Artist Collaboration

Cherie Landie is an artist who lives in my neighborhood. I also count her as a friend. I am so grateful that Cherie and I agreed to a collaboration based on her latest work. I was honored when she agreed to have me write poems inspired by three new drawings. The creative stars lined up so that her show was on display at the People’s Gallery in Randolph, Vermont for the month of April, which also happens to be National Poetry Month. This type of poetry is called ekphrastic poetry, which is a written response to a piece of art.

Usually, poetry is meant to conjure images or feelings in the reader. In this case, I started with Cherie’s drawings and captured in words the images and feelings they evoked in me. I enjoyed the process; especially the quiet Monday when I sat on the wooden bench with the spring sunshine streaming through the window that looks out onto Merchant’s Row and sat with each of the beautiful black and white drawings. I hope you enjoy Cherie's art and the resulting poems.

I wrote one poem that was essentially an overview of the three drawings and how I felt after spending time with them. Each of the other three poems follows the drawing by which it was inspired.

The Doorway to the Universe

Simple lines on paper

And yet not so simple

The flat wall takes on depth

 

Curves and shades in motion

Taking viewers on a journey

Far from this cozy space off Main Street

 

Other worlds are calling

All you have to do is stop

Let yourself see them

Let yourself go there

 

Flow along the line and feel

The paper beneath you

Dive below the surface

Emerge in a new time and space

I. Growth Rings

I am a tree

My spine is the trunk

My lungs are the leaves

Taking in the air around me

Ribs are branches

Reaching out


I am a tree

Rooted to a place

Living in partnership with

My environment


I am a tree

Xylem and phloem are veins and arteries

Blood flowing like sap


I am a tree

Growing tall and bending as years slip past

My bark now old and weathered

More wise and patient


Knowing that

One day I will fall

II. The first haircut

Those little curls that wrapped around your heart

Drifted down to black and white checkerboard tiles

Joining other wisps of trimmed hair

 

Your child growing up with each snip of the scissors

You almost leap from the chair

To grab that little curl

 

So delicate and pure

To hold onto it

To make time stop

 

You want her to remain

In this youthful innocence

 

She turns to look at you

With the fresh cut bangs

The perfect edges

 

The broom sweeps the fallen curl

And you are all swept into the future

III. Perpetual

The ocean is never still

Always moving

With its tidal push and pull

 

Look out to the horizon

Over the flat blue black plain

Watch the waves wash towards shore

 

White tipped and wild

The sea curves up in a perfect arc

A moment of space exists

 

Before the crest and crashing foam

The rhythm as one wave follows another

 

Washing over my feet

As they slowly sink into the sand

 

The line of surf retreats to greet the next breaking wave

Beckoning me to join this game of hide and seek