Maxims for a Refugee Artist (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, April 18, 2024, feast day of the “Maximov” Icon of the Mother of God, (above) Blessed Marie of the Incarnation (mere Marie), Blessed Maria Anna Blondin, Saint Agia of Hainault, Saint Athanasia of Aegina (of star miracle), and Blessed Savina Petrilli (..."vowed not to complain deliberately about external and internal afflictions, and vowed to completely abandon herself to the will of the Father"). On Jewish calendar today is Miriam's Passing (1274 BC), and Israelites Cross Jordan (1273 BC). Image from here.)

Maxims for a Refugee Artist

(after John Keats)

Beauty is truth, truth beauty

it's all you need to know

Patience is prayer, prayer patience

to scout the way to go, find

art's an unfolding, unfolding an art --

this day's one open road

*See John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

**From combined prompts: From Daisy Barrett's Writers At Play winter series in January 2024, free write experiences that come as look back on months of past year; then scan for a metaphor of challenge, find another angle there of promise, and combine those two metaphors (my eg refugee artist). From Lisa Freedman’s BreathReadWrite, April 18, 2024 free write as inspired by “Try to Praise the Mutilated World” by Adam Zagajewski. Also inspired by a Lenten homily (about a month ago) from Father Justin Huang of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish, Vancouver: “Our normal rhythm of life is not present anymore.... We have crammed more things into 24 hours than we used to do in three or four days. And it doesn't work. We get unhappy, we get impatient…”

Earth-glance (WC)

 

(Wendy Cabell, April 14, 2024, feast day of Our Lady of Kamalen/Guam, Blessed Virgin of Grace (Italy, Robegano district apparition, 1534), the (above) Vil'na Icon of the Mother of God and Saint Lydwina of Schiedam. Image from here.)

Earth-glance

Dance of sun upon dew, morning

new-–to-do’s ancient:

--clear the head

--make the bed

--birds to feed

--set on the tea

If moon hasn’t set quite yet 

she surely will—

with promise to refill

when stars surround. 

*From prompt: Free write as inspired by “I love you. I miss you. Please get out of my house.” by Donika Kelly.

From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, April 14, 2024.

Unfinished (WC)

(Wendy Cabell, April 14, 2024, feast day of Our Lady of Kamalen/Guam, Blessed Virgin of Grace (Italy, Robegano district apparition, 1534; somewhat related image above), the Vil'na Icon of the Mother of God and Saint Lydwina of Schiedam. Image from here.)

Unfinished

task (n.): from Latin tasca, “ a duty, assessment”

Joseph’s boat (see it just out back window, his tools tossed round nearby) Seeds as yet planted, lying out front door here on the porch My schedule needing weeding A partially filled commemoration list, prayers for the living and departed (shouldn’t this be topping the list?) Yet to be covered books Snoozed emails Jumbled papers Crowding in my head Paintbrushes patient, nudging My arms, they need s o m e b r e a t h i n g s l o w f i l l b u o y a n t -- m o s t

w e l c o m e b a l l o o n

*From prompt: Free write as inspired by “My Sister, Who Died Young, Takes Up the Task” by Jon Pineda, and the etymology of “task”. From Lisa Freedman’s BreatheReadWrite, April 14, 2024.