
Deep mirror. A man, an
aurora borealis —
both between light and fiction
but, like a motel, no full-length
view. No body.
On body:
Robin — news to me! — nests
pressing its breast against
brush. So I too
lay flat against
a Turkish carpet,
teetering to make—
unsure who shapes
who. Shapes
again, I mistake
solo piano for light
diffused through the fronds
of the fern refusing
to brown.
This is the season where travel/vacations and long sunny days in the PNW combine to make for parched house plants, of which we have many. I wrote about them in the short dark days here.
I recently read a great book which I think I mentioned before called It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anne De Marcken. Recently I read an interview with features some robin nesting imagery.
We bought some rugs in Türkiye which are lovely and have brought a lot of (needed!) color to our home.
Sitting in the living room the other day I closed my eyes while listening to some piano and could have sworn that when I opened them again there was no distinction between the spots of light on the table and the sound.
I recently picked up a copy of The Work of Art by Adam Moss, a beautiful book physically and a thoughtful collection of stories of an artist's process and discovery. Many of the conversations document the way the origin of a piece varies dramatically from the final work. It also questions when a work is done, which I find fascinating. Thus far I’ve been struck by the following:
The way many artists prioritize creative work with near proximity to dreams (i.e. working first thing in the morning or in the evening).
The way many artists are surprised by the final work.
Additionally, I read a great quote from the poet Charles Simic the other day “[…] you are as capable of failing [art] as it is of failing you. You have to bring yourself to it.”
With Gratitude,
Such a beautiful poem. The Turkish carpet purchase makes me think of the scene in “Aftersun” where Paul buys the rug despite not having a lot of money.
I’m quite obsessed with the last stanza, and I love the dream-like quality of the inspiration.