Congratulations to All Artists and The Artist in Everyone! As the world experiences a pandemic that many find to have parallels in the Influenza Epidemic of 100 years ago, it is artists who are responding with creativity - doing our own things, suggesting at-home and home school projects, making videos and establishing virtual get-togethers.
Art helps incredibly well to counterbalance the fear mongering that sells newspapers, etc. and comes across in many, many contexts.
As far as Pinole Artisans specifically are concerned, our April Newsletter included reports by artisans and friends who are engaged in creative activities. Natica and Richard Angilly's dance company has a once or twice a week Zoom group for dance and poetic dance fun and keeping up the moving spirit.
Email Natica for more. [email protected]
Our discussion of why spelling in English seems to be capricious and lawless is in draft state and will appear soon. (And it will be fun.) But it seemed most exciting for May to center the column around two poems The Poet's Corner has just received, "The Masks We Wear," by Eric Carlstrom and "Collective Grief," by Angela Schneider.
Art helps incredibly well to counterbalance the fear mongering that sells newspapers, etc. and comes across in many, many contexts.
As far as Pinole Artisans specifically are concerned, our April Newsletter included reports by artisans and friends who are engaged in creative activities. Natica and Richard Angilly's dance company has a once or twice a week Zoom group for dance and poetic dance fun and keeping up the moving spirit.
Email Natica for more. [email protected]
Our discussion of why spelling in English seems to be capricious and lawless is in draft state and will appear soon. (And it will be fun.) But it seemed most exciting for May to center the column around two poems The Poet's Corner has just received, "The Masks We Wear," by Eric Carlstrom and "Collective Grief," by Angela Schneider.
THE MASKS WE WEAR
We all wear masks
Some always did
Protection from what we fear
For some it's bugs
Others it's hugs
Intentionally donned to keep them away
The more we make
The more we wear
Will our true face feel the air?
Maybe one day
We wait for a time
To be revealed
To be unveiled
No barriers in our way
Maybe one day
Eric Carlstrom
COLLECTIVE GRIEF
The weight of grief
On every soul
The heaviness
Of losing hold
Of who we thought we were
False veils
Falling away
Emotions stir
To reveal
The fragile
A pane of glass
Shattering
Leaving only
The frame
Forced to feel
The stages of the game
And shame
Eyes wide
Harkened
Hearts broken
Opened
Glass turning
To water
Spiraling
Clear
Fluid
Seeking
Level
Every time
Angela Schneider
In the ancient tradition of Welsh "tongue music" (poetry out loud), read these poems out loud as well as silently. Something special happens. Both poems bring us into the distress of the current moment and also lead us to thoughts ("Maybe one day") and observations ("Fluid / Seeking / Level / Every time") of opportunities we have not yet known. Or, forget thoughts! Make a May mask! Watch Pinole Creek flow!
Tanya Joyce
Painter, Poet, Pinole Artisan
[email protected]
www.tanyajoyce.com
www.tanyajoyce.com