#life #lifeis #sirensong #erincarey #poetryandphotography #photographyandpoetry #griffinmuseum #wordshavewings #poetry #oldage #childhood #teenagers #adulthood #stagesoflife
In the spring I had the opportunity to learn with a wonder teacher, Erin Carey, on the topic of poetry and photography. Each week Erin challenged us to create images representing a different type of poetry. We worked on Haikus, free verse, Momento Mori and Ghazal. The challenge was in finding appropriate images to photograph that represented different emotions and styles.
This is one of the poems that I wrote during the class. I wrote it quickly and just as quickly forgot about it, but Erin just sent a compilation of our photos and our poetry and there it was. I had forgotten about it, but it still rings true. Life is many things, depending upon the moment we think about it. As we age, we have the ability to look back and it does give us a different perspective on how life evolves. Life is an exciting trip and we are fortunate to be on it.
I'd welcome your thoughts.
Life
Childhood drips like molasses
Long summer afternoons ripple
One event pushes the next and all ripple outward
Concentric circles of dirt, skinned knees
and wiffle balls bouncing on the hot asphalt.
Clocks tick but alarms don’t chime.
Childhood lasts forever, doesn’t it?
We are teenagers between tears
Each day a Shakespearean drama unfolds inside of us
We share it with our theatrical voices,
our swords drawn to those who oppose us.
"Do not mess with me!"
My Juliette to your Romeo.
And the drama continues.
Adulthood is like skipping stones on a turbulent river
We jump, one slippery rock to the next.
Trying to be just one step ahead
but always ready to fall in.
Our ankles scraped, our toes wet,
unhindered,
we jump to the next slippery stone.
Someone is on the riverbanks cheering us on
but it’s hard to hear them through the sound of the wind.
Old age is like a waterfall.
All the water that has pooled begins to fall.
The water roars as you fall downwards into the rapids.
A little broken and very wet,
You navigate the choppy waters and
look to the placid lake at the end of the rapids.
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