Tag: poetry

Poetry, Poetry and Photography

True Friends

Guila Greer

 

I awaken, open my eyes and remember with a sinking feeling

that I won’t be hearing from you today.

You won’t be there to surprise me with a sweet hello.

Such a silly little thing to have been so often the highlight of an otherwise dull day filled with monotonous chores.

Such a silly little thing to miss so fiercely,

but so typical of the you I’ve come to know.

And come to count on to pick me up from the depths and kick my butt and tell me not to be so hard on myself.

Reminding me that life’s too short to be hung up on the little things.

I took it all to heart

Even if you thought I wasn’t listening.

It’s been a hard journey made easier by words like yours,

always timely, ever welcome

 

Open to hearing my woesome tales of loss, of disappointment and grief

Patient with my ranting and tolerant of misplaced anger

You’ve been a constant in a capricious world.

Demonstrating by example the courage to travel your own path

As I was embarking upon my own;

applauding my successes and dishing out heady

doses of lavish praise that stirred my creative spirit.

While I watched you as you tilled the soil of your life’s journey –

Planning your future and showing your devotion to your family.

Always feeling close

Almost a kinship

Certainly one of spirit and harmony.

 

Life is full of surprises and things change.

Inevitably and never according to our timetables

Friendships begin, evolve, and strengthen

And sometimes meet with chaotic forces

that threaten to destroy all the inherent good.

Always being tested by external stresses. we sometimes

create our own distracters unaware of potential for harm.

And when communication is lacking or unclear

or expectations not well defined

we cause hurt without rancor to those we care for most.

Utter spiteful words, throw out hasty accusations,

or fail to explain actions that could be perceived as hostile.

 

Beyond the words, despite the actions

the singular beauty of friendship

can survive or perish

determined by the value placed on it.

The repercussions of this episode will echo

endlessly for this lonely friend

unless some resolution is made possible.

There’s still a lot to do

more hurdles to overcome, more strength needed.

The support, encouragement and admiration of a true friend

Is precious and sometimes even vital.

You are that precious vital friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Quilt, Fiber Art, Haiku, Life, Poetry, Poetry and Photography

Haiku Art – from February 2011 Faultlines of the Heart

Guila Greer

February has rolled around once more.  This year our Haiku prompt word is ‘moon.’  When I get back to the Valley I’ll work on the challenge, writing my haiku based on the prompt and completing a piece of artwork to represent it.  In the meantime I’m jotting down some ideas – a stream of consciousness series of associations for the word ‘moon’.

Last year the February prompt word was  ‘love.’  With so many new people on board this year I decided to encore the February 2011 haiku and art work. The piece was and is one of my favorites.  My goal for the artwork was to illustrate feelings resulting from the loss of love and the subsequent attempts to hide emotions from others.


Here you have a heart that has been fractured into many pieces along the faultlines that were there all along.  And floating over the pieces of the heart are a tangle of ribbons attempting to hide the tears underneath.
letting go of love
hot salty tears flow freely
bruised battered heart cracks.

All the red “shards” combine to form one complete heart. The pieces have been attached to the background with a lot of heavy quilting. I used heavy cotton plus metallic. The ribbons are hand tacked. Under the ribbons are tear-shaped beads peeking out. I purposefully left the thread tails and frayed edges alone as they are part of the over all feeling that I wanted to generate.

Haiku, Photography, Poetry, Poetry and Photography

Three Seasons

Guila Greer

  WELCOME AUTUMN

Suddenly it’s fall

The earth turns on its axis

Some things never change

  WINTER SOLSTICE

The winter solstice

starting now more sun-filled hours

Illuminating

   SPRING

Forest Canopy        

Clefts in rain soaked branches         

Sunbeams bursting through   


		


			
		
	








	
	

		Art Quilt, Haiku, Poetry, Quilts
My Peach Rhapsody
	


	

							

			 Guila Greer		
		
		

			
Just about the time we got the Haiku prompt word for September I was itching to do another fiber/ribbon collage quilt.  The perfect opportunity arose when we were presented with the word “Rhapsody”.


I always think it’s kinda interesting to look at thought processes and how we end up where we end up so I hope you do too.  I immediately discarded the obvious (to me at least that was Rhapsody in Blue) and considered “what have I been rhapsodizing about lately?” Peaches!!  I had brought home some from Costco and every time I had one I was oohing and aahing about how delicious and perfect it was.


AND, just a few days before I had been in the local quilt shop looking at orange and PEACH fabric and carrying on about how gorgeous it was.


Tada!……………….. Peach Rhapsody


And here’s the Haiku


late summer harvest


fruit heavy branches bow low


ripe juicy peaches



		


			
		
	






	
	

		Art, Poetry, Poetry and Photography
Reflections on Poetry and Art
	


	

							

			 Guila Greer		
		
		

			
Two things came up today that led me to thinking about the why and the how of what I do. I started posting some poetry to an art group called Mind’s Eye and a comment prompted me to dig in and think about why I write – especially because poetry isn’t my primary identification as an artist.  The comment mentioned how “to the point” the piece was and how most people could identify with it.  Here’s what I wrote:


…I write (as a lot of us do), to help clarify my thoughts and feelings and with the expectation that if can get the feelings translated into words that they (the feelings) will be somewhat mitigated.  While writing I create my own form as I go.  I’m not familiar enough with contemporary poetry to know what the “established” or common styles are or if I come close to any of them.  I really don’t care.  I do care that people will be able to relate to what I have written.  If an obscure reference happens to be perfect to include in my narrative then I will include it.  But not if it creates a roadblock for most readers. It is important to me that my work be to the point and accessible…


A friend asked me to approximate how much time I spend in a week on working on my art.  This is a little different twist on the question:  how long did that take you?  It was a question that I was very interested in answering and did it ever open my eyes!!


Hard to say….. I spend many hours day, evening, night working on things related to my art: working on websites, adding items to Etsy, photographing what I see around me for inspiration, photographing quilts and items for website etc., reading about new techniques, looking at other artists’ work for inspiration, writing my poetry (that often leads to an art piece), shopping for supplies, writing in my journal (really unleashes the creativity), selecting fabric and supplies for a new project, daydreaming about the new project, sketching it out, cutting, painting, drawing, fusing, stitching, solving problems, quilting, adding hanging sleeves, hand stitching bindings, hand applying beads, hand embroidery. And so on. You get the picture!!


So, especially you my poet and artist friends – what would you add to this list?


Do you think that it is important or even desirable to stick to acknowledged forms in poetry or other art? 


 I’m very interested in your comments.

		


			
		
	






	
	

		Art Quilt, Fiber Art, Haiku, Poetry, Poetry and Photography, Quilts
Faultlines of the Heart
	


	

							

			 Guila Greer		
		
		

			
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When presented with the February word: “love” I thought of many ways to go with it – parental, romantic, physical, familial – even love of music, nature and so on.  But what I really wanted to deal with was loss of love – specifically loss of loved ones.  When my Mom passed away last year I had to deal with the sadness of her loss plus the fact that she was the last one. Her passing followed my Dad’s (by many years) and my brother and sister’s deaths more recently.  I reflected on how we all suffer loss of love – or loved ones – then have to face our publics as though everything was completely right in our world.

 Here you have a heart that has been fractured into many pieces along the faultlines that were there all along.  And floating over the pieces of the heart are a tangle of ribbons attempting to hide the tears underneath.




Letting go of love


Hot salty tears flow freely




Bruised battered heart cracks.


All the red “shards” combine to form one complete heart. The pieces have been attached to the background with a lot of heavy quilting. I used heavy cotton plus metallic. The ribbons are hand tacked. Under the ribbons are tear-shaped beads peeking out. I purposefully left the thread tails and frayed edges alone as they are part of the over all feeling that I wanted to generate.