in a tribute written for georgia o'keeffe's induction into the american academy of arts, it was said of her work that she...created original symbols for old experiences, sometimes too intimate for more direct revelation...until the language of my own making
is found,
to speak of the tender wound,
i must borrow
words and symbols.
like a hermit crab
who outgrows one dwelling
and is forced to seek refuge
in yet another second hand shell,
i leave a mark behind
in those temporary homes -
a sign to the ones
who will follow,
that i lived there for a time.
-stacy wills (4/6/2011)
8 comments:
Wonderful piece - and beautiful words. What a treat that you have shared with all.
what a great way to describe the process of navigating foreign territory while wounded
Hi Stacy, I really love this poem - you have so tenderly and beautifully described what it is that we do as artists, trying on and borrowing from those that came before us, recreating and evolving... love this mandala, too! xo K
melissa - thank you for your words of encouragement, they mean so much, and i treasure them.
kel and karin - recently, i've been reading a biography on o'keeffe, and when i read the words from the tribute, it resonated so deeply. my journey into wholeness is ongoing, and receiving your words of affirmation and witness along the way sure helps!
oh, girl, I "adopted" and studied O'Keefe for a year...thanks for sharing...from your heart, to ours.
carol - it's been a fascinating read, and in some ways, not at all what i expected. one of the side benefits was learning about her husband's (alfred stieglitz) work. some of his photographs are so beautiful, they make me weep.
Oh this is so beautiful Stacy...your words have moved me deeply...every home is temporary, yet we try with our wholehearts to leave our mark, knowing that this too will be temporary, bound only by memory.
laura - thank you for those kind words. :-)
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