Overview: Inspiration for Poetry Prose & Creative Writing (PPCW)

My mother stayed home with me until I was 5, and taught me to write my name by 3. I don't know when I really began writing regularly, but I do recall an incident in 1st grade where the teacher told me that because I had chosen the same subject matter as my last story, it wasn't very creative. I didn't stop writing, but I immediately became terrified to share it with others. It is still a big challenge for me to put myself out there in the form of my chosen mediums, especially the written word, it is the most personal and thus the most dear.

I wrote poetry, prose, stories, song lyrics, journal entries, ad nauseum throughout my life. Mostly to keep myself sane. For the past 6 years, I have written very little until quite recently, and now I can hardly stop! The written work presented here is from 6 - 8 years ago, and it is sometimes painful to read my own thoughts from what feels like a long time ago now that time has placed distance between both the events and the emotions. That can be true of painting, drawing, sculpture and other artistic expressions also, but is often unmistakable in written work.

The written, the urge to somehow record and therefore also process that which we experience. We know from discoveries of the ancient that recording in written or symbolic form has been practiced by humans throughout time. Discoveries of the writings of Enheduanna, the Sumerian poet and High Priestess illustrate that we have used the written word throughout our existance.
Cave paintings, Egyptian art and writing, Minoan art and writing all illustrate the ancient desire to mark down the world around us.




Reference: Phaestos Disc, Minoan Crete Tablet - Image located on WWW

PPCW - Common as the Common Woman

Within, around and throughout

pieces of myself, my story.

I have worked for Helen

And it could be said about me:

“Her grief expresses itself in fits of fury over details.”

Only we call it the “bitchy button.”

Like Ella, I have learned

unconsciously to “fend off the pass

that passes for affection.”

I’ve been the Nadine of my family, “holding things together.”

And in Carol, I am reminded

that living any lie is torture and telling the truth terrifying.

As a single woman, there is for me a sad truth in:

“She goes as far as a woman can go without protection from men.”

I am the reddest wine

Liquid flesh

One who, like Annie

Stays in motion.

Margaret is the me I am fighting

The woman counting calories,

wishing for and hating the pictures on the pages.

Mourning the abortion of my dreams of children with him.

Feeling blue about the edges.

Looking to the moon

I worry my life is broken bubbles

Seen flashing frozen in a slow strobe.

And Vera is a very special gift for me

The words I want to express almost elusive.

The complicated relationship I have to and with the

“bastard boss ‘I’…never let myself hate”

The work I do without pay.

Born with a mark in the middle of my forehead, my third eye

A spirit message meant for me this morning?

“For all the world we didn’t know we held in common.”

(Items in quotations are direct quotes from and the poem itself is inspired by the Common Woman Poems – Judy Grahn)

Inspiration & Artists Notes:

Upon much thought and reflection, I concluded that for me, the theme I most recognized throughout the work examined, is Identity. Judy Grahn's work: She Who, The Common Woman Poems, Queen of Wands, Queen of Swords, all have many layers, but identity is a strong common theme. Who the characters are: to themselves, in relation to or in the perceived opinion of society, to the author, to the reader, to the other characters, and how for some there are different roles for different places, are the essence of these writings. I found myself identifying with many aspects.

The Common Woman Poems had the most profound impact on me. I could relate to some part of each piece and suspect that most women could. Throughout my quest to survive a devastating loss, I began to define my own identity consciously, over the past few years. Perhaps that is why, the theme of identity was so apparent to me.

PPCW - Magic: Belief before “sight”

Fairies…Always dancing

at the edge of my sight

in the misty spotlight

of the sunbeams

Elves…Little men in funny shoes

and green getups,

bearing gifts

or perhaps mischief

Angels…winged, radiant, semi-translucent

guardians

and messengers sent

Witches… wise women who know

of herbs, nature, ritual,

belief, intention, magic,

and show.

Colorful characters

Mystical, spiritual, sacred

Universally found same or similar somethings

Simply says one thing

Artists Notes:
I have always been fascinated with the mystical and with the idea of faith and thought creating our experiences in life. It is interesting to realize that common ideas about magic and magical creatures have so many similarities across cutures and throughout time. We rely on our senses so heavily for information about truth and facts, but spirituality forces us to rely only on faith. Occasionally when our senses play tricks on us, we can imagine a myriad of mythical explanations. This poem attempts to capture those imaginings.

PPCW - She Who Shines in the Sun & Glows in the Moon

SHE

She WHO?

She

She who is me

SHE

She whose green eyes blaze from within

She Who sees indigo visions

She whose symbol is sacred: spiral, sun, moon phases, directions

She Who dances in passionate rhythms as though the spirits caress her every movement

She Who sings from her soul

She Who has been loved, has given love, has lost love and kept love, missed love, kept love away, loved deeply, she who is love

She Who speaks

She Who has, keeps and tells great stories

She Who creates

She who seeks wisdom

She Who observes, records, remembers, relates

She whose high tides often bring big floods

She who expresses and emotes

She who

She Who is Capricorn Sun, Pisces Moon, Virgo Rising

She WHO?

She Who is and brings light

Who am I?

Whom do I choose to be?

Whom would I choose to be if I considered it my choice?

She Who What?

I am creating she who I would choose to be

She who learns

She who radiates peace, light, and joy

She who lives fully and well

She who has desirable voices and places for them to be heard.

She who gives because she can

She who is blessed with meaningful kinship’s

She who gives and receives love

She who gives and receives wise council

She whose smile brightens a room and touches a heart

She whose eyes see soul to soul

She who is blessed with abundance

She who contributes

She who listens and hears

She who heals and is healed

She who is courageous

She who has fun and is fun

She whose mind, body, & soul are in harmony

She who creates

She who is connected

She who is magical

She who is sacred and divine

She who is me

(Inspired by the She Who poems - Judy Grahn)

Inspiration & Artists Notes:

Upon much thought and reflection, I concluded that for me, the theme I most recognized throughout the work examined, is Identity. Judy Grahn's work: She Who, The Common Woman Poems, Queen of Wands, Queen of Swords, all have many layers, but identity is a strong common theme. Who the characters are: to themselves, in relation to or in the perceived opinion of society, to the author, to the reader, to the other characters, and how for some there are different roles for different places, are the essence of these writings. I found myself identifying with many aspects.

The Common Woman Poems had the most profound impact on me. I could relate to some part of each piece and suspect that most women could. Throughout my quest to survive a devastating loss, I began to define my own identity consciously, over the past few years. Perhaps that is why, the theme of identity was so apparent to me.

PPCW - Bare Feet Walking

Bare Feet Walking
Skin and Earth
meet, bond and mingle
then seperate, to reconnect again

It is as though I am
splintering apart from the inside out
shedding the outer
the inner breathing in, rising up, expanding

Artists Notes:
I read once that one practice of meditation is to walk and focus soley on the act of walking, to really think about what each step feels like. My mind is always so busy that I have never been very successful at practicing this meditation for very long.

PPCW - "Observations of Seeing"

I trace it with my eyes
the aqua color changes
sometimes a deep green-blue
others almost translucent

soft threads of blond and brown
frame the smooth broad forehead
the wrinkles begin underneath the eyes
and spread out past the corners
just touching the long dark lashes
and lead down past the smile
up around soft pink lips

the skin looks smooth and soft
and my heart expands so
that I cannot breathe

sleeping that face is so young and peaceful
the lashes rest lightly above tanned cheeks
and the eyes move rapidly underneath as the dreams
run themselves through the mind and
your lips move slightly as though trying to speak what is seen

the ears, my favorite part
cold always, slightly red at the tips
and white at the curve

hundreds, maybe thousands of tiny blond hairs line
those cute little ears and
underneath the jaw, and at the hairline

red sleepy eyes make the blue brighter
the hair stands straight up in places
and too flat in others
the face stretches and grimaces with the body
while the eyes radiate love, strength and wisdom,
as they blink in light, colors & shapes

dark course hairs trying to grow into a beards
at the chin and what would be sideburns
so dark in contrast to the soft yellow gold just above

when confused or concentrating
the chin comes forward
and the bottom lip hides the top
sometimes the eyes close
or work with the wrinkles to form questions

and finally when playing guitar
serene and peaceful
the eyes flutter between shut and open
the head moves with the strokes
of the hand and the rhythm of the strings

the whole body dances to make the instrument sing
the face becomes more and more confident
as the song moves on
and then breaks out into a happy smile
at its end

Inspiration & Artists Notes:
This was written for the class "Art As A Sacred Process" and the assignment was "observations of seeing". The idea was to really look at something and to write about seeing it. I chose a person and was inspired to write it in prose. It is truly amazing how much love you allow yourself to feel when you open your senses to really experience something. I highly recommend choosing an object of nature or a person and letting yourself really look. Then sit quietly later and recall it by writing it down.