One World
Life invites us in—
a chair is for sitting
a bed is for sleeping
a tree for hugging.
We are part of this dance,
we are sharing this world.
A smile can go a long way,
a laugh—for miles.
The moon invites us to visit
the Milky Way to wonder
the sun spreads its heat
the stars their twinkle
Orion, his protection.
Plants invite us to eat
trees share their bounty
the oriole says, “look at me”
the zebra boasts its stripes
the cat shares her love.
And us,
we open our souls
to the deep intimacy
of being,
to lighten the days of others,
brightening ours
along the way.
©Sherrie Lovler
January 4, 2010
ABOUT THE POEM
This poem follows closely on the heels of the previous one. From page 132 in the book, Nature and the Human Soul, Bill Plotkin quotes depth psychologist James Hillman:
“…the world is made less of nouns than of verbs. It doesn’t consist merely in objects and things; it is filled with useful, playful, and intriguing opportunities. The oriole doesn’t see a branch, but an occasion for perching; the cat doesn’t see a thing we call an empty box, it sees safe hiding for peering…”
I love these ideas, and when I read them, I got the chills. Really, this is how I know a poem is about to form. So, I stopped here in my reading and began to write. Life, all of a sudden, felt inviting. By letting my imagination loose, and seeing things from a different perspective, things felt lighter, more interactive, more loving.
ABOUT THE PAINTING
This painting has the lightness of being that the poem has: very simple, floating. It was originally part of the previous painting, Dreams, and then I cropped them into two separate paintings. I love making lines and filling them in—reminiscent of my early coloring book days. Some things, perhaps, are never outgrown. And I always colored within the lines!
ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
The tool for the black strokes is a piece of wood veneer handmade into a pen. The background has some sink art. It is a method of putting ink on paper and while the ink is still wet, running water over it and rinsing off the ink. The ink sticks to the parts of the paper that are dry, forming the marbelizing effect. I did some quick lettering with pencil along with other lines and filled in shapes with gouache. 6x4 inches