Today's ArtSpeak: WOMEN poem features a piece by Gabrielle Münter that I've written on before, during 2020, my "Red" year.
Thanks to Catherine at Reading to the Core for suggesting I write after Gabrielle's work! I've selected a few more of her pieces I'll tackle later in the year.
Like many of you, I LOVE sending and receiving snail mail. So no wonder this piece called to me once again. Thanks so much for reading.
Speaking of mail, I recently received in my postal box this bewitching stitchery from our hostess/poet wrangler Mary Lee. I commissioned her to embroider a favorite line from the book I wrote with Dahlia Hamza Constantine, A Good Morning for Giddo. What a special keepsake... I LOVE it so much!!
RSVP
My pen darts down the page
a bullet train blasting past every crossing
How delight tempers
trepidation in this blur of words
So what if we crash
yes yes I’ll be there
You are my favorite destination
- Irene Latham
And here's the 2020 ArtSpeak: RED poem... "When I Write to You I Put on My Red Shoes"
In 2019 during ArtSpeak: HAPPY I wrote "The Letter" after a piece by Mary Cassatt.
That embroidery by Mary Lee 😍 Hooray for letters! Mary Cassatt's painting is marvelous. "You are my favorite destination" *happy sigh*
ReplyDeleteLove all your snail mail poems. Who can resist red shoes? Chiming in with T sighing over "you are my destination." Perfection! Mary Lee's embroidery is beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteOh, my goodness -- I LOVE the red shoe poem! Also, how did I not know you'd written a book with Dahlia?? She is a treasure! Just requested from the library!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you; snail mail is lovely. I have been wanting to write to my grandkids so they can have the excitement of finding something with their name on it in the mailbox. You have given me an idea to write them a little poem just for them and send it on its way. The embroidery is lovely. What a special keepsake to remember writing that book with your friend.
ReplyDeleteI so miss letters in the mail, both sending and receiving. It’s an entirely different experience to feel the paper and study the curves and bends of someone’s ink, put there for you. Makes me want to dig out my red shoes! : ) Thank you for sharing your gorgeous words (whether hurried and blurred or painstakingly gentle)!
ReplyDeleteHow did I not know about the Little Truths Studio Snail Mail Club?! Did they form this company just for me? Oh, my goodness! Thanks for that tip. And, a piece stitched by Mary Lee is absolutely a treasure. What a lovely gift. Congrats on Good Morning for Giddo! I love seeing more and more books from you coming out into the world. The last line of that Artspeak poem is the best.
ReplyDeleteOh, you know I love glorious snail mail... and ALL of these poems of yours! (Didn't know about the Snail Mail Club; that's great!) Mary Lee's embroidery is gorgeous; what a special way to celebrate the new book. Thanks for sharing all of this goodness with us! xo
ReplyDeleteThere are so many treasures in this post! I adore Mary Lee's embroidery and your commission of it. This past winter I went to the Guggenheim in NYC to see the Gabrielle Munter exhibit. How fun to read your two responses to one of her pieces here! I also love that you are open to going back and revisiting an inspiration to squeeze out a bit more lovely poetry! Finally, I'm 100% intrigued by that monthly snail mail package. Thanks for all the bounty today!
ReplyDeleteSnail mail is the BEST. I've tried to get my niece to join me in a long-distance conversation, but so far it hasn't stuck. I keep hoping!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing "Good Morning!" It makes my heart happy to know that it lives with you!
"You are my favorite destination" is such a gorgeous and romantic love line. Thank you for sharing this poem and all your other lovely poems. The embroidered line from your book, both the embroidery by Mary Lee and your "Good morning..." line...ah...seeing it must be such a perfect way to start each day!
ReplyDeleteI love reading both Munter-inspired poems together...I imagine the letter in between them that came from her beloved... :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this lovely collection of snail mail poems, Irene. And kudos to Mary Lee's beautiful stitching!
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed your ars poetica approach to these poems, Irene. Process rich insights neatly wrapped in these short and pin point accrutate little offerings loaded with astute reminders of the beauty derived from a life of word making.
ReplyDeleteLovely embroidered art by Mary Lee for your book “Good Morning for Giddo!” And yes for all your encouragement of letter writing which build connections and so much more, thanks for your rich post Irene!
ReplyDelete"You are my favorite destination." Oh, happy sighs.
ReplyDeleteI *must* go check out the Snail Mail Club. Another happy sigh! I subscribe to a friend's letter-writing project, and sitting down with one of her manually typed missives is pure joy. She's a former Brave Writer colleague, and we keep in touch anyway, but I couldn't resist her letter subscription, which is its own kind of joy. (I don't mean to use your blog as an ad for her, but if you want to take a peek, she's here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4397260225/seasonal-letter-subscription-by-alice)
Thanks for a delightful post this week, Irene!
Wow, I love Mary Lee's embroidery and swoon over that line. I really enjoyed your Gabriele Munter-inspired poems, too. I don't think I've ever written a poem to/about a painting. (If I have, it's been so long that I've forgotten.) I must try that!
ReplyDeleteIrene, you make snail mail so enticing. I wish I had time for that. I found out this morning that my daughter has strep throat and Little Lila who just turned 3 needs to be with grandma. I have a few moments while she rests. I enjoyed reading your mail and now late at night rereading. It's like having important mail with exciting news to read. Thanks for sharing Mary Lee's stitchery. It is a beautiful piece of art.
ReplyDeleteIrene, what a smorgasbord of delicious thoughts and images. The Mary Lee embroidery is so fun, and the RSVP poem "You are my favorite destination" is such a magical line.
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