Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit marvelous Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for Roundup.
So...how's August treating you? I'm enjoying the less hectic days for sure!
Today's ArtSpeak: LIGHT poem revisits Diego Rivera's lily series. Back in 2019 during my HAPPY! year, I wrote a poem called "The Weight of Happiness" after a different piece. Here it is:
And here is today's poem, after the only painting in the series that includes more than one person. (Of course I had to bring that detail into my poem!) Thanks so much for reading.
remember how easily lilies
carry light
the next time you strap
a bundle to your back
let it bend you
and when someone offers
to help
say yes
- Irene Latham
Beautiful and strange to think of lilies as heavy, as a burden when carried in large quantities. I love your invitation to say “yes.”
ReplyDeleteYou're amazing. Thanks for pointing out the light & sharing the burdens in this old world.
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between 'the weight of happiness' and "the weight of the world' carries a message to us readers, Irene. I love the goodness of both, the one who is being supported and one who needs to acknowledge help is needed. Wonderful to ponder!
ReplyDeleteSay yes. Such good advice in life (and in poetry).
ReplyDeleteSo interesting how you managed to evoke such different emotions in each poem. Beautiful images and words.
ReplyDeleteWow. The contrast between the two poems is big...but they both work. They make a nice pairing. And, they give me ideas!
ReplyDeleteI love the contrasts between the weight in the title, the ease with which lilies "carry light" (such gorgeous opening lines!) and the suggestion of heavy lifting in the painting. And, "let it bend you". Wow! Such a gorgeous, powerful poem in so few well-chosen words. Thanks, Irene.
ReplyDeleteOh, gosh, those two poems are a beautiful pair. I love the artwork and your words. "declaring their wild promises" and "lilies / carry light" are two of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI love the contrast between "let it bend you" and "say yes." Lovely pair of tributes to Rivera's paintings, so stylized and yet so emotionally resonant.
ReplyDeleteI had to look and look for the second person (before I read your poem). Besides the reminder that we need to say yes to help when our back is bending, I like the reminder that sometimes our help needs to remain hidden so as not to detract from the main bearer of the burden.
ReplyDeleteIrene, I'm struck by the layer of sharing the burden of light - being laden with light and accepting someone's offer to share this. Wow.
ReplyDeleteWhoa--Love thinking about how easily lilies carry light. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe light is always brightest at your blog, Irene. Yes is such a positive word to end your new ArtSpeak poem.
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