Waiting / 22 April 2012
The Dawn Chorus seeps into my consciousness with liquid joy. Night brought sleep, so I open my eyes with a question.
These days play out on a yo-yo string, some are stretched out towards the promise of wholeness; some like this one are curled in on the pain. And waiting an unfocused kind of waiting, between moments that I try not to fritter away. Yesterday comes like that when I wedge myself against the garden wall and paint a long view. And later I watch the birthday flags waving from terracotta pots and take a rain check on chocolate layer-cake.
Days, moments, that leave no memories, just quiet folds in the chronological order of my life. Out on the pleated edges is where the sun shines and creation swirls; and where hope still has a cheeky smile.
I know of no way to acknowledge the value of hours devoted to breathing through pain; no way but waking and living. No way to honour love and life, but living; being; creating.
Sensuous lines swirl
white on white, kissed
by the glass walls
of my house; embraced
by the Nouveau frame.
Day by day, week by week,
I wait
pressed against the glass
while the sun rises
Klimt gold
and a squillion snowflakes
dither and refrost.
Impatient for my
jewelled garden to emerge,
I stuff
armfuls of silken narcissi,
fistfuls of fake muscari
into the waiting canvas.
Beardsley morphs into Mucha
waiting melts into spring.
Keywords: drawing,everyday experience,imagery,outdoor art,painting,poetry,waiting
Comments
Gini
/Thank you all for comments and questions. I think of the poetry and prose as a whole, with each illuminating the other, but neither existing solely to clarify the other and I hope that using both forms adds texture and richness.
Colin Hambrook [ED]
/The context for the poem is an invaluable format; giving us the priviledge of further insight into the poets motivation and reflections on where the imagery in their poetry comes from.
I think it would be difficult to interpret Gini's poem as as response - amongst other things - to "breathing through pain", unless that was your individual life experience.
In talking about this, in her preamble, she gives an opportunity to appreciate her imagery more, I think.
richard downes
/as a admirer of both gini's and nicole's blogs i now need to ask a question.
Is it a convention that poets now go through poetic prose before the poem so as to explain what is likely to be read.
I'm asking this really out of interest. I write and sometimes i think i'm being poetic but would not call myself a poet, though perhaps one, way back in time i would. I prefer prose. Its easier for me. but i can see a sense in an explanation and can see that this might be talked out on stage too. So does something give here?
Nicole Fordham Hodges
/I love all your blogs, Gini, but particularly this one.I love ' open my eyes with a question' and I love the desciption of time as 'folds' and 'pleated'. It's very sensual. It takes me straight into the sensuality of my own days of waiting.
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