April IS National Poetry Month!

Yeah Poetry!  I love Poetry and my InJoyEmporium Shop is full of poetry expressions!

I am BUSY!  The SPRING energy has finally hit me!  So zoom ~ zoom!  Feels GREAT!

Yesterday I finally listed this piece of FiberArt   https://www.etsy.com/listing/184748093/natural-white-mix-media-meditation?ref=shop_home_active_1

Robert Lax is one of my favorite poets!

This is a mix media piece honoring part of one his poems. It is made as a kinetic mobile with 6 small panels. The panels are connected with swivels so they turn freely between the text side and the mirror side. The panels text is letterpressed onto cotton with a vintage mirror tile contained by wool batting & sparkly tolle. There are quartz chips, moonstones, & Austrian Crystals to add more shine!

A wonderful meditation on the beauty of life!

[life]
is
no
hol
y

be
cause
it
is

beau
ti
ful

it
is
beau
ti
ful

be
cause
it
is 

hol
y

Robert 
Lax 

 

Robert Lax (1915-2000), was a little known American abstract minimalist poet and spiritual hermit. Lax may be best know for his friendship with the Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton. Though, I wish he could be known more for his own works. Lax wrote many poems but was not well published in the US. I love his writings and hope to bring more of his wonderful poems to light through my art work.

~~~Gratitude~~~ Nelson Mandela

"We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right."

Nelson Mandela

How can I not turn my thoughts of gratitude towards this great man that has left our world.  I am grateful that I lived through the time to see the end of the South African Apartheid.  I am grateful that I was a part of the American movement that helped free Nelson Mandela from prison.  My actions were small but they were still actions.  I am a firm believer that no action is too small or insignificant.  It has been my experience during my 50+ years on this earth that one thing leads to another.  A small bit of peace work can can lead to a whole lifestyle change that is better for the planet and the human race.  

Recently, a friend pointed out to me that the word human originally was spelled humane. If we each would meditate on that idea, with conviction, that our identification means kindness.  It is daunting to think that anyone of us can fill the shoes of the great leaders of our race.  But, there is no chance without some small effort.  I believe that finest way we can honor Nelson Mandela is to find ways in our life to be as humane a human as possible.

"In this life we cannot do great things.

We can only do small things with great love."

Mother Teresa

1. Human, humane  may refer to that which is, or should be, characteristic of human beings. In thusdescribing characteristics, human  may refer to good and bad traits of a person alike ( human kindness;human weakness ). When emphasis is placed upon the latter, human  is thought of as contrasted to divine:To err is human, to forgive divine. He was only human. Humane  (the original spelling of human,  and since 1700restricted in meaning) takes into account only the nobler or gentler aspects of people and is oftencontrasted to their more ignoble or brutish aspect. A humane  person is benevolent in treating fellowhumans or helpless animals; the word once had also connotations of courtesy and refinement (hence, theapplication of humane  to those branches of learning intended to refine the mind).

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/human?s=t

“Relax,” “Slow down,” “Simplify,” “Love everyone unconditionally.” Robert Lax

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~

November Ends

November ends today.  Many folks that I know look at this time with some trepidation.  A time of more darkness that may lead to dark thoughts and sadness.  But, for me it is a time of more reflection....I seem to "see" better in the dark.  It is a time to gaze at stars and wonder.   This last day of November coincides with the end of deer hunting season here in Maine.  So it also means I can wear cute hats again and Runa can be free of her super hero vest! 

The woods are safe to enter once more.  So I enter the forest of winter contemplation with these 2 poems.  Robert Lax & Thomas Merton; best friends, wise men, prophets in our time...

The Regret


When cold November sits among the reeds like an unlucky fisher

And ducks drum up as sudden as the wind
Out of the rushy river,
We slowly come, robbed of our rod and gun,
Walking amid the stricken cages of the trees.

The stormy weeks have all gone home like drunken hunters,
Leaving the gates of the grey world wide open to December.

But now there is no speech of branches in these broken jails.
Acorn lie over the earth, no less neglected
Than our unrecognizable regret:
And here we stand as senseless as the oaks
As dumb as elms.

And though we seem as grave as jailers, yet we did not come to wonder
Who picked the lock of the past days, and stole our summer.
(We are no longer listeners for curious saws, and secret keys!)

We are indifferent to seasons,
And stand like hills, deaf.
And never hear the last of the escaping year
Go ducking through the bended branches like a leaf.



Thomas Merton ~Selected Poems of Thomas Merton pg 8

darkness
oh the darkness
oh the darkness
of the wood

no light
no light at all
comes through
the trees

when will the light
come stealing,
when will the light
come stealing,
when will the light
come stealing,
through the forest?

darkness
the the darkness
of the woods

no light
no light at all
comes through
the trees.




Robert Lax ~Robert Lax Poems (1962-1997) pg 6


Robert Lax

11-30-1915 ~ 9-26-2000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lax


Happy Birthday! Bob!!! 

~~~Gratitude~~~

POETRY

Robert Lax ~ Abstract Minimalist Poet ~ 1915 - 2000 

April is National Poetry Month!  April 18th Poem in Your Pocket Day!

I love poetry.  It has saved me time and time again.  When I was a teen and my life was pretty rugged I turned to poetry for comfort.  My first favorite was Robert Frost, it was funny too because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest.  I had never been to New England or cared to go.  Even so there was something in his poetry that resonated with me.  Part of it was nature but there was something more...who knows it may have been a pointer that my adult life was to be here in Maine.  

My first poetry book I ever owned...co 1972

I love the economy of poetry.  So much is said with fewer words.  I love the imagery that poetry invokes in my mind.  But my favorite thing is the way poetry looks on the page.  It is the blank space that surrounds a poem that I ador.  The blankness is like a breath before the poem is read.  The spaciousness around lines opens my heart to the message of a poem.  The most open poems I have come across where created by Robert Lax.  My beloved, most admired, maybe an obsession, personal favorite poet is Lax right now.

(I should own stock in posted notes!)

I have read everything I can get my hands on about this wonderful human BEing. This was a person full of love and possibly enlightened.  A humble sort that didn't get published much.  I am so grateful I love poetry -> which lead me to Robert Lax! 

My latest additions to my Lax collection

A favorite poem....

problem
in
design

what if 
you like 
to draw
big flowers,

but what
if some 
sage has 
told you 
that 
there is
nothing 
more beautiful

nothing 
more
beautiful

than a
straight
line
?

what should
you draw:
big flowers?
straight lines?

i think
you should
draw

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

big
flow
ers

un
til

they
be
co
me

a
str
ai
gh
t
l
i
n
e

i draw 

straight 

lines, 

said 

the young 

man, 

and think 

they are 

perfectly 

beautiful; 

but what 

can I 

draw now? 

straight 

lines, 

i said 

straight 

lines, 

straight 

lines 

until 

they 

disappear 

A link to 3 videos by Susanne Wiegner with the voice & poetry of Robert Lax

http://movingpoems.com/poet/robert-lax/

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~

Lax Grass

(So grass if it knew itself
would be less that it thinks
and as great as it is
and greater than it
thinks it is)
All in a single moment.

Robert Lax
Circus Days & Nights

These were made from extra bits of a Fiber Art project (that is still in progress).  Robert Lax is one of my favorite poets.  I am, absolutely, in love with his work and the story of his life!  Check out my "I read" list for some of my favs.  If you Google Robert Lax you will find many links to his works.


The Green Grass & Text were letter pressed onto cotton canvas at A Revolutionary Press, Harborside Maine.


Robert Lax (1915-2000), was a little known American abstract minimalist poet and spiritual hermit. Lax may be best know for his friendship with the Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton.  Though, I wish he could be known more for his own works.  Lax wrote many poems but was not well published in the US.  I love his writings and hope to bring more of his wonderful poems to light through my art work.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126246907/green-grass-party-crown-with-letter

Black & White

                              black             white             black             white

                              black             white             black             white

                              white             white            white              black

                              white             white                                  black

                              black              black            black             white

                              black              black            black

                             white                                  white

                             white

                                                  

 Robert Lax, “Three Concrete Poems,” Love Had a Compass, pp. 15-17.

Sunday morning the world was black and white.  My wanderings reminded me of Robert Lax's Abstract Color Poems.  There are 3 poems in the series.  I am working on a mobile for each poem.  Here is a photo of the first ~ handwoven squares from handspun yarn suspended from wire.  Now a series of beauty from my "backyard".  It was a splendid morning walk!

My sweet little garden shed.

~~~Gratitude~~~

Robert Lax

Robert Lax is the most influential poet in my life at this time.  I am so grateful that I discovered the work of this poet a couple of years ago.  Much of what I consider my art work, at this time, is inspired by Lax's poems and life.  Here is a mobile I recently created...coming to my Etsy shop soon.....

Robert Lax (1915-2000), 

a little known American abstract 

minimalist 

poet and 

spiritual hermit was the inspiration for this 

Mix Media Mobile.  Much of Lax’s poetry was written in a 

vertical fashion.  His idea was to slow down the reader. I love 

the blank space around the words and the feeling of openness 

created by his style.  This poem is #27 from 

A Thing That Is 

(1997).  The  six panels 

represent   the same spacing Lax used for 

this poem.  I made the poem spin in order to further slow the 

reading. The mirrors are there to remind us to look within, 

something I feel Lax spent most of his life doing.

Lax may be best know for his friendship with the Trappist 

Monk, Thomas Merton.  Though, I wish he could be known 

more for his own works.  Lax wrote many poems but was not 

well published in the US.  I love his writings and hope to bring 

more of his wonderful poems to light through my art work.

This is a collaborative piece.  

The text on the fabric was letter 

pressed at A Revolutionary Press

by John Vincent of Harborside ME

The Mix:  

Letter Pressed Light Block Cotton Fabric, 

Wool Batting, 

Sparkly 

Nylon Tulle, 

Vintage Mirrors, 

Quartz Crystal Chips, 

Rainbow 

Moonstones, 

Austrian Crystal, 

Fishing Swivels, 

and Thread 

Created by debOrah of Freedom, Maine 

www.injoyemporium.esty.com

Here Are Some Robert Lax Links

http://www.wisdomportal.com/PoetryAnthology/RobertLax-Anthology.html

http://web.sbu.edu/friedsam/laxweb/

http://www.hermitary.com/articles/lax.html

It is my intention, each Sunday, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your gratitude moments. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~~