Poetry Friday, Week 11: Spark 54

3/16/2023

©Graphic by Amber Fleek

Laura at Small Reads for Brighter Days is hosting Poetry. She is previewing her project for National Poetry Month. She's invited others to play along. It sounds fun and engaging.

Speaking of National Poetry Month, I will be sharing poem videos written by poetry friends. These poems were donated to my students at Texas Women's University for a midterm project. I am very excited to see these poems come to life.

Last month, I participated in another collaborative effort with Spark 54. This project is organized by the fabulous Amy Souza. She paired me with Bianca Schrader who shared the following poem:

Temples By Bianca Schrader
Inspiration piece
All things beautiful
All things sacred
All things worshiped, holy in quiet spaces.
Sun-dappled anything. Curls of steam out of a favorite cup. Piles of books, some to be read,
some just hopefuls.
Unﬁnished projects.
Cards from close friends.
All things ordinary. All things precious, placed with purpose.
All stories to tell.
Soft light, quiet mornings.
Late for work, out the door.
Company is coming, sweep the ﬂoor.
So that they may take their shoes oﬀ.
Make yourself at home in mine. I’ll make it comfortable.
I’ll try to let you in once you’ve entered!
This is my church. I’m the god worshiped here
and so are you.
we are the same, you just built your church a little diﬀerently.
All things beautiful.
we are the same, you just built your church a little diﬀerently.
All things beautiful.

This is my response to Bianca's poem. Mixed media.

To see my Inspiration piece, "Portals" and Bianca's response poem, "Windows", visit Spark.

Only a Month Away, Invitation: April 14, 2023 Classic Found Poetry Palooza

9 Comments

Denise Krebs link

3/17/2023 09:28:34 am

Oh, Jone, so much beauty in that poem and in your artistic response to it. I am trying to read the sign on the left, "You are..." but I can't make out the last word.
I'm looking forward to creating a found poem from a classic. I need to pick my classic and re-immerse myself!

Linda Baie link

3/17/2023 09:37:27 am

Lovely response to that uplifting poem, Jone. I love the "Sun-dappled anything".

PATRICIA J FRANZ link

3/17/2023 03:14:40 pm

All such beautiful ways to think of sacred space, including your art. Thank you, Jone.

Sarah Grace Tuttle link

3/17/2023 03:38:37 pm

Jone, this is lovely. Thank you for sharing! I love both Bianca's poem- especially the part about piles of books!- and your artistic response to it-- especially the books! :)

Linda Mitchell

3/18/2023 04:20:51 am

Wow! What a fabulous inspiration and response. The echoes are just lovely between the statues and shadows and book covers and the repetition in the poem. This is your best yet, Jone! I haven't given Poetry Month a thought. Maybe today!

Laura Purdie Salas link

3/18/2023 04:34:27 am

Jone, it's lovely to read this poem and then find its echoes or complements in your art. The soft light, quiet morning background, and the church imagery. And yet each piece is great on its own, too. Thanks for sharing this!

Mary Lee

3/18/2023 05:49:38 am

Gorgeous. I am lucky to have two pieces of your art sitting on my printer where I can look at them every day!

janice scully link

3/19/2023 07:45:16 am

Thanks for sharing Bianca's poem, Jone. It made me consider my home and what I take for granted that really inspire deep feeling and make it a home. I'm thinking about the poem palooza. Great idea!

Michelle Kogan link

3/19/2023 10:24:50 pm

Gorgeous piece you created Jone, I love the movement in it–nice sharing of spirituality in both poem and art, thanks!