For our 2019 Art & Poetry pairing, one pairing was with poet Trisha Wooldridge and artist Carol Frieswick.
Here are the works they created!
Carol Frieswick provided this artwork to Trisha:
In response, Trisha wrote the following poem:
Life Cycle, Lotus
Filth filters into roots,
feeding purest blooms.
Lush blossoms provide
carpet and repose
for gods and prophets—
and aphids, flies, and frogs.
White petals blush;
their secret lies
in dark, dirty waters.
Purity comes from
life’s cycle and recycle—
the world’s waste suckled
by hungry sprouts
sheltering bottom-feeders—
not immortal’s weight.
…
The second half of this pairing involved Trisha giving Carol a poem as a starting point. Trisha provided this poem:
A Poem for My Dad, Bob
sunlight’s kiss sparkles water
behind the “no trespassing” sign
red and white
up and down
“keep the line taut.”
dad smiles
checks for cops
edges back down
the steep incline of dirt and concrete
best place to fish five minutes from our house
“see it Bobbing?”
excited brown eyes squint
up the hill
then back at me
“watch it! watch it! watch it now!
reel in the line,
good girl,
keep it taut.”
white and red
red and white
up and down and
under!
snap!
“reel it in! reel it in!
you did real good!”
he shouts
heedless of getting caught
like the fish that fights
small five-year-old fingers
reeling it in
to show my Dad
i Bob my head
up and down
showing my prized l’il pun’kin seed
…
In response, Carol provided this artwork:
2019 Art-Poetry Pairing main page