Word & Question

Leave all gardens unguarded, all woods yielding,
but put a circuit round the gutted mall:
a last surveyor, turning, in the night,
like one to watch a ship that's done with sail days,
now yarded in the weedy dark - hulled, unpraised,
waiting to be water-sealed, out of star-sight.

One witness, pert, this official vacancy
beside the zoning fence, make midnight strides,
that none may have the fun of breaking panes,
and wrest from demolitioners their first dig-in,
ruining what projected contract ruin
stands, as stood for years, now its fallow claim:

Beams to be bitten, walls to give way
to further sight; the roof no more a roof.
Rain, birds, air and light, making of the refuse-
the sudden letting of the elements,
water down the sliced front in many singing threads-
a song of a momentary end to use.

Whatever palpitates is for plough's harrowing.
Even hectic creatures as we, draw the stars
together of infinity, size them to suit
the rotting pages of an earthbound book.
How much more our pulsing lots, for plough, who look
in at zones, up at slate, map out routes;

our lots brought low: all world's a homeless sea.
Vast messengers above our heads wage war,
we trust through breakage, though not seeing far.
Cling to waking anguish, relinquish bed's drowse,
for the home of your heart is a falling house:
turn out - leap from the grave in your own heart.


Word: Turning

Question: What is the one thing needful? (At least I think that was the question.)


Was it love at first sight?


Word and Question


Alternate words for lines: Hoisted for yarded, and 'Have him witness' for 'One witness, pert'.

Medium: Pencil crayons and there might be 2B and 2H pencils

Government Priorities

hikoo

Condolence flowers,
arranged in jars with water,
soon will wilt and die.



Tobacco blooms done:
bulked wombs, with fine seed, where bees
crawled dutifully.

Furball

Zing goes the kitten - zat!
"Why don't you want to play with me
twenty four seven?"

Two Icons

My iconography instructor has chided me for not showing my icons to more people. So here are two recently completed ones. When you show someone the icon you have painted and tell that person about it, you are not simply showing; you are evangelizing, in whatever "small" way - make no mistake. And who am I to block that from happening due to a false modesty?

They are rather shoddy photos of the Archangel Michael the Great Taxiarch, and Christ the Pantocrator. Click to enlarge.

Max Monday

Here's a documentary on Max Beckmann which I found here. It's a BBC documentary, so some groans and eye rolls are to be expected. But for simply getting a big boatload of Beckmann, it's enjoyable to watch.
















Update: Though it may be true that Beckmann sought to "compete" with the likes of Picasso and Matisse, when the host says that Beckmann rethought his original position on their work, it is not true. He despised their work to the end of his days.

Medium: Pencil 2B and I'm pretty sure 5B

Medium: Pencils HB and 2B

Medium: Pencils 2B and 2H

Medium: Charcoal

Now summer is gone
And might never have been.
In the sunshine it's warm.
But there has to be more.

It all came to pass,
All fell into my hands
Like a five-petalled leaf,
But there has to be more.

Nothing evil was lost,
Nothing good was in vain,
All ablaze with clear light
But there has to be more.

Life gathered me up
Safe under its wing,
My luck always held,
But there has to be more.

Not a leaf was burnt up
Not a twig ever snapped...
Clean as glass is the day,
But there has to be more.


Arseniy Tarkovsky
(Translated by Kitty Hunter-Blair)

Medium: 2B Pencil

Medium: Pencils 2H, HB and pencil crayons

Medium: 2B Pencil

Christ is arisen, O people rejoice!

Refrain: Mary, cease thy weeping, Christ is arisen.

When Christ re-appeared the sky and the armies of darkness vanished.

David said unto him: 'Arise thou conqueror in war!'

The nights of mourning have gone, happiness has returned.

The outskirts of Jerusalem announce peace unto you.

Peace unto you, courage, your watchman sleeps not.

His resurrection is proclaimed like fire on the banners.