Artistic Inspiration

The Artsenta Annual Exhibition was used as a starting point for this weeks writing. We were asked to choose an artwork that spoke to us and to write a poem that encapsulated four tasks: to describe what we can see; to reflect on what the art made us feel; to interpret what the artwork was telling us; and to relate the art work to something in our own life. Some people did four lines for each task creating a structure for their poem in the process, while others just let the inspiration flow. Art is a great place to start writing! 

ON TAKU RUA RURU

Two warmly comforting occupants of the night
                    - side by side-
 a take on Taku Rua Ruru; and a memory roused
 
A painter’s brush of green
Dark and Light, it’s all the same
Feathered owls, two ruru, sit
tinted green in a forest flood of
matching feathers and strangling leaves
    Larger than Life
               Staring, Unblinking
                                     Sightless
For each, a cape of feathers wrapped tight
Claws like forest tendrils twine around
A cruel curving beak like a haughty nose
and the always watching eyes
 
Sleep is now Awake:
You hide among the matching leaves
Watching, staring, silent
I sleep, almost
Time held by the chiming clock
Wrenched awake by your violent screech,
adrenaline bites with your feathered flight
 
- KJ  

A SAD FAIRY

The fairy’s glow has gone
Big grey wings hanging low
A long purpley/pink dress
That goes to her feet

She’s cradled herself on the floor
Her hands against her knees
That are against her chest
With her hair drooping low

Seeing this fairy
Makes me feel sad
And I can’t see her face
Since her head's between her knees

I feel exactly like this fairy
As when I lost someone close to me
I cradled myself in the same position as her
So I could be silent and pour the sadness out
 

- Julia Godfrey