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This weekend I was invited by the Acadiana Wordlab to read at a poetry reading for the Fire and Water Festival in Arnaudville. I walked in to The Little Big Cup, a quaint restaurant that even has blue china in the bathroom. The cake balls are just the right size for a sweet treat, along with a cup of your favorite hot drink. There was a large table full of poet friends and poet-friends-to-be. Ten poets gathered to read! I wrote down lines from each poet, added a few of my own, and created this found poem.
Visions
Last night I dreamed the moon was burning.
She smelled of incense, indeed as special as a single snowflake.
There is no exhale on nights like these.The moon sees everything in red,
eyes wild like the river.
Blooming ginger stalks, waves of fragrance paint the sky
All the way down.Our vision is often smeared.
We don’t see the signs, or ignore them.
While poets print their poems on the back pages of a calendar,
our soft necks hold them dear.–Margaret Simon and poets of Acadiana Wordlab, all rights reserved
Before leaving the town of Arnaudville, I stopped at Nunu’s to see what was up. There were demonstrations all day long, cooking, crafts, etc. I happened on a woman making posies. Do you know what a posy is? Karen explained it’s a small bouquet. She had a table full of greenery and carnations. She showed me how to make the bouquet in my hand. “Start with the lightest color at the top. Twist in each stem. Arrangements in threes are pleasing.” I made this sweet bouquet to take home.
The next station I visited was a book making one. The artist, Juliet, and I had an immediate connection. She helped me make a book using mat board and duct tape. I sewed pages together using a needle and dental floss. She called each set of pages a signature. We told each other of our father-artists and the artist journey. She even identified me as a fellow Leo.
Juliet Lockwood, artist in residence at Baton Rouge General, and Karen Willingham of Deaux Bayou Gallery, were my gracious instructors.
A day of poetry and lagniappe!
Acadiana Wordlab
Deaux Bayou Gallery
NuNu’s Art and Culture Collective
I imagine that the book you created will soon house lovely poems like the one you shared with us today, Margaret.
So beautiful, Margaret-fine poets all! I admire this line very much: “There is no exhale on nights like these.” Some just write things that take my breath, without writing it! Love hearing about your experience!
Margaret,I named my giraffe after you! She is one of the five toys that are coming alive in my house in December at the stroke of midnight. She helped push everything out of my pantry last night.
I wonder if my toys eyes are “wild like the river,” too? Very strong imagery. Thank you for sharing.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a giraffe named for me. So special.
Sounds like a really special day of creating! I have never heard of doing a found poem like this! I love it!
Margaret,
I am pleased to study the creativity you shared in your blog.
You are truly generous with all your love and light. Does a field trip to Baton Rouge sound good? I would love to host you for a day of really binding books, it takes a little longer, but the finished piece is a masterpiece!
Julietartlockwood@gmail.com
My program in Arts in Medicine at Baton Rouge General is going to let me offer more workshops. I hear soon about a grant to offer subsidized workshops open to the public.
In the meantime, my studio has a lot of references and material all set up!