Inspired by Jacob Lawrence's Jukebox

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Ms. Haiku
Ms. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,368
edited June 2005 in Poetry, Prose, Music & Art
The warmth of your message was less than that
of a small campfire under a moonless
night, in the dead of winter, after it
had been extinguished with ice water. My
subsequent actions were appropriate.
While walking downtown I heard the laughter
of neighbors with waves of goodnight, and smelled
the first sign of autumn from cleaned chimneys.
I unbuttoned my coat to feel the breeze
across my neck soothing my frustration.
I passed shops already closed for hours, and
prepared myself for the headlights advancing.
Congregated strangers, we touched music
with our movements swaying reverently.
There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Being Enlightened
    Being Enlightened Posts: 5,746
    I see that you're very inspired by Jacob Lawrence. I'm not familiar with Mr. Lawrence but your inspirations have made me very curios. If you don't mind my asking, who is Jacob Lawrence and why are you so inspired by him? :)

    If you have already explained this and I missed it, I appologize.

    I do enjoy your inspirations! :)
    Forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen
  • Ms. Haiku
    Ms. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,368
    Hi There! Jacob Lawrence was a painter who was first discovered during the Harlem Renaissance. He taught throughout the US and ended up in Seattle. He died within the past 5 years, I believe. I really like his stuff because he honors where he comes from without apology. The paintings are bold like Georgia O'Keefe with a lot of emotion in the boldness, if that makes sense. My goal is to write poetry that can express what I know the way his paintings express what he knows. I just have to work on what it is in my own life that I want to write about. . . Here is a link to the painting i looked at when I worked on Jukebox
    http://www.dia.org/jacoblawrence/pages/jukebox.html

    Thanks for asking!
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
  • FinsburyParkCarrots
    FinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Bibliobella, you and Extreme Freak are the cream of the new poets here. Thank you. :)
  • Being Enlightened
    Being Enlightened Posts: 5,746
    Originally posted by Bibliobella
    Hi There! Jacob Lawrence was a painter who was first discovered during the Harlem Renaissance. He taught throughout the US and ended up in Seattle. He died within the past 5 years, I believe. I really like his stuff because he honors where he comes from without apology. The paintings are bold like Georgia O'Keefe with a lot of emotion in the boldness, if that makes sense. My goal is to write poetry that can express what I know the way his paintings express what he knows. I just have to work on what it is in my own life that I want to write about. . . Here is a link to the painting i looked at when I worked on Jukebox
    http://www.dia.org/jacoblawrence/pages/jukebox.html

    Thanks for asking!

    Oh you're most welcome! :D And shoot, you reminded me of one of my old poems that I posted so, I bumped it up for you to take a gander at and posted a link to the painting that inspired me. :) It's called Pygmalion and Galatea. :)

    I think you're doing a great job and thanks for the link and the insight! :)
    Forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen
  • grooveamatic
    grooveamatic Posts: 1,374
    Originally posted by Bibliobella
    My
    subsequent actions were appropriate.


    The simplicity of this line--with all it's implications--is awesome.
    .........................................................................
  • ExTReMe FrEAk
    ExTReMe FrEAk Posts: 118
    Originally posted by Bibliobella
    ...and smelled
    the first sign of autumn from cleaned chimneys.
    I unbuttoned my coat to feel the breeze
    across my neck soothing my frustration...
    I love this part. Tactile Imagery can be felt by anyone who reads Tactile Imagery. Which is exactly what that was. I could smell autumn in the air, I could feel that beautiful breeze coarsing through my coat.
    It truely is imagery for the blind.
    Beautiful poem.
    Chasing a trail of smoke and reason.
  • Being Enlightened
    Being Enlightened Posts: 5,746
    :)

    A wee bump for Bibliobella.
    Forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen
  • Ms. Haiku
    Ms. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,368
    BE, what a memory you have! This was one of my favorite Jacob Lawrence inspired poems, too. What a painter. If I could write a poem with the power and empathy that he shows in his paintings. . .
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
  • Being Enlightened
    Being Enlightened Posts: 5,746
    Bibliobella wrote:
    BE, what a memory you have! This was one of my favorite Jacob Lawrence inspired poems, too. What a painter.

    :) Well, Fins sparked it but once he did, I knew exactly which poem I wanted to bump! I liked all of them but this one is my favorite!
    Bibliobella wrote:
    If I could write a poem with the power and empathy that he shows in his paintings. . .

    Puh! You do a damn fine job, woman! Your words paint as beautiful a picture as the strokes he uses on canvas! :)
    Forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen
  • justam
    justam Posts: 21,415
    Bibliobella wrote:
    The warmth of your message was less than that
    of a small campfire under a moonless
    night, in the dead of winter, after it
    had been extinguished with ice water. My
    subsequent actions were appropriate.

    I like this part so very much! :)
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • Ms. Haiku
    Ms. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,368
    justam wrote:
    I like this part so very much! :)
    Thanks, I remember that was a lot of fun to write. The painting is very cool, now if I can only find a link . . .
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
  • pearlmutt
    pearlmutt Posts: 392
    Bibliobella,

    Uh-huh, her! You are impressive.
  • Ms. Haiku
    Ms. Haiku Washington DC Posts: 7,368
    pearlmutt wrote:
    Bibliobella,

    Uh-huh, her! You are impressive.
    Oops, I just fell over backwards because my head got really big. Gee darn, I can't work anymore with this huge ego, schucks.

    Thank you.
    There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous
    The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird

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