Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure and visit Catherine at Reading to the Core for Roundup.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I've got so many things cooking this year...which means I need my Poetry Friday community more than ever! This weekly gathering and poetry practice are among the core tenets of my creative life...I'm so grateful to each and every one of you. Isn't it a wonder that we're able to share our lives in this way?! I look forward to reading all your posts and appreciate your support so much.
And now, my 2026 One Little Word: STILL. As in being still (not in motion) and also still, as in, something that remains, "I'm still here."
Aside: I still need to see the film: I'M STILL HERE
I love all the complexities embedded in this one little word! Here's more from The Center for Action and Contemplation website:
"Pausing and being still enough to notice love within and around is a deeply powerful and countercultural act…. In the case of most of contemporary society, stillness is a prophetic act, defying that which demands that we move quickly and move upward. It challenges the notion that it is better to be busy and occupied. It refuses the call to be constantly distracted and perpetually plugged in."
I'll be using this Harper's Bazaar article that names 36 of the best female artists to begin selecting artists and art. And I will be looking to the universe to guide me....If YOU have a favorite female artist, would you please share her name and work with me?
I'm starting with #1 on the Harper's Bazaar list, Artemisia Gentileschi. Perhaps you've read the stunning YA verse novel Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough? If not, you totally should! Artemisia was a woman creating art in a man's world—a victim of violence, yes, but also a survivor. She used her art to proclaim herself—and to get her revenge. Read more about Artemisia here.
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| Allan Wolf, Charles R. Smith, Jr., Irene Latham |
I Paint Myself into Existence
You left me
splintered
shredded
but I will not
go quietly.
Many times
I have slit
your throat
spilt your blood
across a canvas.
You cannot
conquer me.
I will always
rise again,
paintbrush
in my hand.
- Irene Latham
Oh Irene! I love your focus on women artists. Your poem captures Artemisia's determination and will to survive. May 2026 bring you many moments of stillness and love.
ReplyDeleteSo many thoughts. 1. I’m glad you’re cooking. I continue to find inspiration in your work and play. And, I’m similarly grateful to this community. 2. Still is a fabulous, multi-layered word. I look forward to your exploration. I have to giggle at the thought of moonshiners….oh, please can a moonshiner show up in a story or a poem? 3. Yes, to women artists making themselves known in your poetry. There are many and we stand on their shoulders. I hope I can write some of myself into existence too. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI love your art theme and your OLW, Irene! Artemesia Gentileschi is a fave. Love her Judith Slaying Holofernes, which I didn't realize was personal (although, now that I think about it, you can tell!). I like Remedios Varo, Yayoi Kusama, Suzanne Valadon. Looking forward to seeing what you find! xo
ReplyDeleteI don't participate as often as I would like to, but I'm very grateful for this community. I hope to be more active in 2026. "Still" is a great OLW. I have not chosen mine quite yet. It is my birthday so maybe it will come to me as a gift today. : )
ReplyDeleteOh, that middle verse speaks loud, Irene. Perhaps the creative spark, no matter the path, helps us all to speak? Yes, I have read "Blood Water Paint" where McCullough shows a story still relevant from so long ago! Your choices feel good, being 'still' brings energy, doesn't it? & the Artspeak about women - a year to celebrate them! Wishing you happy days in this new year!
ReplyDelete"Still" Is the perfect word. It is a challenge in this busy life we lead. And I am excited to see how the women's art inspires you each week and to learn more about the artists themselves. Your poem was both beautiful and gut-wrenching. Like Artemisia, I have found my collage and writing to be healing and a way to express those tough emotions. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteLove your OLW-still- and your powerful poem!!!! Yes, we must paint ourselves into existence and ..."rise again,/paintbrush, in hand." My favorite female sculptor is Paige Bradley: https://mymodernmet.com/riveting-story-behind-that/
ReplyDeleteWill you be share your amazing poem with Joy McCullough? I will be reading her book and looking for Artemesia's artwork! Thank you so much and Happy New Year!!!
Irene, I love the word "still" for an OLW, and although I haven't picked a specific word in a few years, the ideas in the excerpt you've shared are making me rethink that choice. As for Artemisia Gentileschi, I was fortunate to see some of work at an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art years ago. She was a force of nature, and your poem captures that beautifully. Finally, it looks like you're not on Bluesky (probably a wise move) so you may not be familiar with the feed womensartbluesky. They share incredible works of art (in all mediums) by both contemporary and historic women artists. They recently shared a favorite of mine, Gabrielle Münter. Can't wait to read more of your ArtSpeak poems!
ReplyDeleteOoh there is so much goodness in this post. This community is everything. I love the list of women, especially Georgia O'Keefe. I would encourage you to look up Emily Kerr. She's Canadian and I just learned about her this past spring.
ReplyDeleteYour poem so neatly captures the resilience and defiance of this artist, Irene. There is much to explore and harvest in this most fertile of subjects. So alive with possibility.
ReplyDeleteIrene, still is a word that I cherish although many times I do not find time for stillness which is a big mistake. I look forward to read more ArtSpeak poems that you will write in 2026. You must have felt the power and sorrow of Artemisia as you wrote. I think this year's AirtSpeak will speak to me through your research and writing.
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