I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

1 December 2015

Drawing Lesson: Orange

using charcoal
I make a tree of dreams
black white and grey
then I add orange chalk
to bring my dreams alive
song-birds in the branches

*** 

feel your way she said
desire is born of orange
today we create
an emotional landscape
let it be messy and fun

***

I pressed hard
for black and colour
then I smudged
the finger-soft grey
and left some stark white
the orange sang loud


At dVerse just now we are looking at Japanese forms which can be seen as non-identical twins: the tanka and the bussoku-sekika (which has an extra line). Mine are two bussoku-sekika, each in a pattern of short and long lines, sandwiching a tanka with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable count. 

These are variations on a theme: my drawing attempts today based on my friend, artist and art teacher Sharyn Willliams's blog. Have a look; she has very interesting things to say and show.  

(Tanka and bussoku-sekika are usually untitled, but this blog post seemed to need an overall descriptive label.)

Linking this post to Poets United's Midweek Motif: Energy, Vitality

23 comments:

  1. I like where these tanka took me. Reminded me of something I used to love doing.

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    1. I have just started loving it again, after a very long gap.

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  2. The way to use the colors here.. in so many ways.. I could see both the birds and maybe also a warm fireplace in the dread of darkness...You showed both forms very well.

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  3. revealing the inner nature of emotions we discover anew
    in the math of poetry
    575 reaches to become
    3.14......

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  4. I love the orange singing loud midst the black and grey. Love that you are expressing yourself through art like "songbirds in the branches".

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  5. "A tree of dreams" needs to come to life, not flounder in the dark. How wonderful then to apply orange in title and in poem as a means, as a song. Love it!

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  6. This is absolutely stunning! :D

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  7. Really like your use of color, Rosemary. You have really made each piece come alive with just a bit of orange! Orange is definitely a unique color, vivid and freeing (I think)!

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  8. the orange sang loud, colorful piece.

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  9. I like all of these and short-long is perfect. But I like the human landscape being messy and fun. Indeed! Anyone who ever jumped into mud puddles would know it is both messy and fun and I still love to do that. All of these are wonderful - the orange makes them warm and come alive. I kept smelling orange peel while reading these.

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad you like them! And I love that you smelled orange-peel. (Smile.)

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  10. Sketching is much like writing as both paints pictures from our minds. I had a look at Sharyn Williams site and her work with children shows how much we can learn from them...wish it was the other way round too and not the bad stuff.

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  11. love this passion and enthusiasm for creation in a new way...very inspirational to me..

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  12. Splash or hint of orange is always the center of attraction in anything. This is a strong statement, Rosemary. The first one I could think of is autumn.

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  13. Charcoal often feels very limiting - and yet if you have orange in your soul - it will surely shine as it does here

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  14. Lovely poem. I like Sharyn's manifesto on her blog.

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  15. I have recently been loving orange. It is a lively, happy color. Great poem, Rosemary.

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  16. The light is always there, isn't it? Behind all shades, we just have to mix things up a bit, to search and to want... until it shines.

    Love this! ♥

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  17. I love the use of colors Rosemary ~ This is my favorite line: desire is born of orange -

    Grace

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    1. Ah, that wasn't my line, though I love it too. I should have said, the middle piece is practically a found poem from Sharyn's instructions.

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  18. Colour is what fills your life, the spaces between black and white! Absolutely loved this.
    Very interesting form of poem too, will check Sharyn's blog. Thanks!

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  19. I have started painting again after some time and I loved this poem, Rosemary.

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