poetry

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poetry 〰️

I began 2022 with a stuttering jolt. In spurts and waves, writing and art seemed to clash with one another. The only time they felt cohesive and playful was in the software programs of Affinity Publisher and Procreate. My Apple devices, a mac-mini and my iPad Pro, played well together most of the time, but random crashes like the waves in a tropical storm, they tossed my words and jumbled the color palettes, forcing me to retreat and regroup before the internet connected.

Not sure whether I should resist the storm or embrace the journey, I snatched some resolve from my husband’s prayers and friends’ encouragement. I reloaded programs, restarted devices, and repopulated libraries and software assets. Using the down time, I signed up for a few classes and joined two memberships I felt would propel my skills forward.

I’ve joined Liz Kohler Brown’s membership called THE STUDIO. And I signed up for the incredible Lettering Course taught by Christian Lettering Artist, Stefan Kunz, among other courses. I took classes in font creation and how to vectorize my paintings and logos.

Still, my stories waited. My writings sat patiently through most of the first quarter of the year.

In April I joined the Poetry Month celebrations, gave a talk in Serious Writer’s Chat Group on FB with author and poet, Rachael M. Colby, and tackled children’s writing ideas for NaNoWriMo and NaPoWriMo. It’s safe to say, I had plenty to express and ample time to devote to both, but my computer and iPad might just have needed the break. At least that’s what I tell myself when I worry about letting my stories languish in digital files and dusty folders.

Surprisingly, some of my childhood memories resurfaced. Peculiar memories in addition to the traumatic ones vied for my reflection. This time the pleasant snippets of Grandma’s farm and Grandpa’s wisdom, brought more encouragement and life to my writing. I found the more I embraced my sorrow, the more I learned how to color hope in the places of loss and grief.

I’d like to share two of those poems with you, and a blackout poem, all with pastel palettes.

Thanks for following my journey and riding the currents alongside my discoveries.