for the artists Olly & Suzi (& the animals)
First there was a line
grace like the breeze
broken and jagged as the earth
smeared with the essential,
clay tainted with sweat
Hand over hand artistic collaborators
paws and hooves animals imprint
bite, scratch, slither a chaotic contribution
intense encounters in the wilds
artists alongside predators in situ
drawn in charcoal, pigment, sepia,
mud, berries, sap, dye, ochre,
sunder ink, rock ash, and blood
Borneo, Nepal, Alaska, the Galapagos
geography defined by one species
charting the dividing lines
bounded territories a Great Escarpment
bleak prophesy portends tales of
timber wolves and cheetahs on the hunt
sketching bloody prints trailing Namib sands
hostile places leading to an inner seeing
Transfixed by snow swept plateaus
Katmai grizzly bears, Mkomazi blue lions
watercolor turtles swim under painted leviathans
enrapturing Cousteau’s angels
heart of darkness beats in black tiger while
Champa Kali charges down a dusty path
and orcas move through the great silence
Adrenaline’s anaconda twisting around
the shark cage of inspiration we see now
with eyes wide to awe and terror
melt water becomes a roaring stream
impregnating the romance of the landscape
fear’s thunder rumbling through impenetrable forests
ice crystals form within the vigil of deepest knowing
dead fox, oryx skull, and scarlet raven calling
spirit pounds in the chambers of conch shells
the story is the wind
it comes from a far off place
and we feel it
as outlaws demarcate
these lines of extinction
Inner Animal (for Olly & Suzi) 2007 Mixed Media on Paper Anna Montgomery
To find out more about the collaborative artists Olly & Suzi and see their artwork go to http://www.ollysuzi.com/. They have a book out about their work called Artic Desert Ocean Jungle. This poem owes a debt to Joseph Conrad, ‘An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest.’ from Heart of Darkness & to a San Bushman ‘The story is like the wind, it comes from a far off place, and we feel it.’
Posted for the amazing poetry community dVerse Poets Pub for Open Link Night http://dversepoets.com/2011/10/25/openlinknight-week-15/ come join us!
Chromapoetica 
Wow, what an amazing painting!
Thank you Louise.
Looking at those paintings, and reading your poem: I don’t know if I can fully appreciate their abstract artwork by myself as much your poem! I really like how you interpret their paintings and process through your poem. I admit I know little on how to talk or interpret art, especially abstract art. The poem is such a mosaic of nature and landscapes suggested, and seemingly mystical as well. Enjoyed it very much. 🙂
Thank you Ravenblack, glad I could bring a bit of enjoyment and sense to abstract art through poetry :). Language and visual/spatial processing occur on different sides of the brain. I always find it interesting to find connecting points or ways to translate one type of stimulus into the other. I hope to see you at OLN!
hot hot hot…love th wildness of this ….from adrenalines anaconda on is my fav part…awe and terror mixed indeed…love that feeling, ha..and you wrap it in some awesome imagery as well…then settle us again your last little stanza…outlaws demarcate lines of extinction….nice…
Brian, thank you very much for the lovely comment and hosting my favorite night at dVerse!
smiles. i remember this one…was a joy to revisit it…one of the few i dont need an encyclopedia for…smiles. this time around the words that resonated with me…
Adrenaline’s anaconda twisting around
the shark cage of inspiration we see now
with eyes wide to awe and terror
it truly is a mix of that fear and excitement…
Thanks Brian, its very kind of you to reread and comment again. This weekend has been too hectic and surprising to work on a new piece for the prompt. Thought this one was a perfect fit for the prompt so…
Anna! This one gets my blood pumping. I am one with big sky and big earth…the art is fantastic! Together you`ve blended a fantastic presentation. For me, (every poem is a soundtrack in my head) it`s native drums, building to a frenzy, till our awareness is turned to that we so often overlook, take for granted. Amazing! Where did that poster paint go! We must rally!
Yes, and gather some animal friends to smear the placards with their marks!
whew…so much passion, earthiness, unchaining of emotions and color…some paint on canvas, you paint with your words..
Thank you Claudia, unchaining is a wonderful way to put it and I find that all the arts inform my work in some way.
Wonderful poetry to the paintings. I was swept away… 🙂
Thank you very much Louise!
Anna, love the piece. That second stanza is amazing, I love lists and menus-yeah weird I know-lol , so the end of that stanza was a little something extra for me- Great piece. Thanks
Will be certain to check out their site.
It’s funny that you mentioned Heart of Darkness as I just reorganized it yesterday. I’m a bit of a neat freak when it comes to my books and sometimes, naturally they shift forward on the shelves, and I put them back in line with the others-that’s what happened here. I know it’s an extremely popular book, as it should be, but when i read that hear I thought-what’re the odds.
Olly & Suzi are inspired by Joseph Conrad and other explorers/writers/artists – it’s funny you just tamed it on your bookshelf :). Regarding the second stanza I worried I should have picked three materials and be done with it but I love the process of art-making so indulged myself a bit there. Good to know someone else enjoyed it!
Oh yeah, definitely enjoyed it, and the way you read it on your reading was perfect, almost as if you were reading off an incantation- and the “gravel” as you mention, added an extra dimension- added an extra dash of character to the fold:)
Thanks Fred! Character is always a good addition and I like the implication of ‘incantation’ maybe there’s some hope there :).
Anna, this is lovely and amazing from first to last–a sense of urgency, and of the wildness we *need* to share with the world and its creatures instead of destroy and tame–we are so much the losers when we do. The anaconda stanza is incredible, like a full blown cave painting where each cited animal is more than flesh, a spirit animal of life and potency. Beautiful work done here.
Thank you Joy, the subject means a great deal to me and your comment about the spirit animal of life and potency is deeply cherished!
More than anything I see the earthy tones of cave paintings… and sense fecundity. Grace is a powerful line in your first stanza… what a rich visit, Anna. Thank you !
Thank you Becky, these are the images I painted with words to capture the rawness of the art-making encounter for these world travelers.
The paintings become clear because of your powerful image filled prose and the depth of imagery in the writing.
The depths you achieve and the knowledge used never ceases to amaze me.
Another fabulous write.
Thank you Daydreamertoo, that’s so very kind of you to say. I truly appreciate your visits and encouragement.
I love the way you played with this, felt like I was playing on a play ground and had so much fun stuff to go with and it relevance to the picture
Thank you Kodjo, sorry your comment went into the spam filter but it’s rescued now :). I’m glad you enjoyed playing along.
The imagery you created is beautiful… and I liked the gravel in your voice; it added grit. very nice reading!
Thank you Anthony, I had to laugh at the grit (too much dust stirred up by Champa Kali the elephant)!
Lines, your lines, frame the power of images and art. // Peter.
That’s a kind comment, thank you Peter.
Anna you certainly have done it again…… Reading your poem from top to bottom sent flashes of all different images rushing through my head, and so intensely without any separation, for instnance the images of all of these still somewhat untamed areas like Borneo, Nepal, Alaska, the Galapagos all being charted, geographically stolen by man and then directly into timber wolves and cheetahs on the hunt, and images of snow swept plateaus, bears, lions, turtles, tigers….. oh my! Although I agree with Brina that “Adrenaline’s Anaconda” was an excellent word choice, I must admit my favorite words of your poem are “Cousteau’s angels……” I I am a huge fan of Jacque and his son……. And then when I finally scrolled down to the bottom and saw the artwork, all of the non-stop melting and flashing of poetic imagery made perfect sense: It’s abstract! Incredibly awesome!
Thank you John, yes I was working toward that abstraction, I have many experimental poems that I call nonrepresentational that are more imagery rich and turn on a dime. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and the Cousteau reference – ‘The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. ‘
Awesome imagery, Anna. Another great write.
Thanks Ayala, looking forward to reading your poem.
Line, mass, light, color, shadow, highlight, reflection. Emotion, thought, memory, impression. All the pieces that make up good poetry and good art are found on this page, Anna. Pretty thrilling stuff, I’d say.
Thanks Joe, that’s awfully kind of you to say!
what amazing painting. At home I love to paint and I can really appreciate the art work done in these painting and the poems really add to the flow of colors and make them stand out even more. You are amazing and your work really stands out thank you so much
http://gatelesspassage.com/2011/10/25/the-groom-of-the-dead-bride/
Thank you, wonderful to know that you also paint!
a very passionate write. enjoyed this!
Thank you Kamana!
A wonderful journey… regarding the painting/s, I found them, (I saw the totality divided into three panels) comforting somehow, the predominant pink being a positive colour, although also potentially blood & water mixed,; the over lapping shapes and lines reminded me of cave drawings too (but then is that because of your poem!); it felt almost as though looking through a veil, looking into, through time, through water, not really sure, but intriguing..as is the title ‘Inner animal’
Your poem is a wonderful journey, from the off, ‘first there was a line, grace like the breeze’ then a gorgeous sweep, intense arc of images, leading to ‘Cousteau’..
really loved this poem, especially the quietening close after the expansion, ‘the story is the wind’ & the poignant ‘these lines of extinction’
Yes, it is three separate pieces of paper and it was painted in the basement of a former police substation in a studio without windows (in a way a modern cave) and is an artistic dialogue between myself and the artists Olly & Suzi. As an aside I never miss that studio!
‘These lines of extinction’ hopefully ties it back to the beginning and serves the purpose of both ending the work of art and calling our attention to the mass extinction we’re causing. This is a very emotional poem for me so I’m doubly appreciative of your feedback.
Exquisite, and heartbreaking piece. Every single day I feel the loss, the breaking, the losing, the farther and further we push away from that which binds us to the spirit of every other kind of life. We insulate ourselves in the derivatives congratulating ourselves on our differentiation, our “otherness”. I die a little inside with each divorce.
Thank you Gay, it’s just exactly that, a death that eats away at us bit by bit. It’s a rending that cannot be undone and no one seems to think forever means just that. We’ve accelerated the pace of extinction and continue to focus on our own needs, turning a blind eye to overpopulation, habitat destruction, and global warming.
Anna- Your voice is well! I love this… especially the 5th stanza- Wow!
Thank you Laurie, that’s the emotional core of the piece :). Take good care of yourself in the coming weeks.
Nice one I found this as an easy read at least I understood without dictionary at hand,,or many I am growing intellectually 😛 ..like the line here anacondas Anacondas and all… Nice hidden imagery message woven in this piece
Thanks Divya, I think you’re a smart cookie! Yes, I didn’t want to hit the reader over the head with this one and let them look at it on different levels. I’ll be by to read your poem very soon.
and yet it is people who frighten me systemically
all animals are navigating a terrain of human aesthetics
it would be wonderful to be an artist who could make the inverse transition
creating ecology from artefact, from a pressed flower
a life with all of its complex potential, beauty and contextual reciprocity
but a human moves and every gesture, every whispered word echoes
infinitely in a compulsive global economic line dance of consumption
and extinction
‘it would be wonderful to be an artist who could make the inverse transition
creating ecology from artefact, from a pressed flower
a life with all of its complex potential, beauty and contextual reciprocity’
Now there’s a feat Janet, if you manage it let me in on your secret 🙂 – it’d be like playing that game Flower where your movement over the landscape causes flowers to blossom and eventually transforms the earth back into beautiful healthy landscapes.
This is amazing, Anna. You painted a picture with your words that lives and breathes, and the artwork is wonderful, too. I always know that I will find a treat waiting when I visit. So many excellent lines, but this was one of my favorites, “watercolor turtles swim under painted leviathans” – so, so good!
Thank you sweet Lori, wow, lives and breathes that’s quite a compliment!
The emotion in this piece alone sends the reader on an awesome journey. Then to have a painting that seems to be painted with the same emotions that pen this poem. A beautiful collaboration!
Thank you Percy, I look forward to reading your work. Nice to meet you :).
This is a cinematic extravaganza. The third-to-last stanza is my favorite–the image of nature alive and in motion… The artwork is a nice complement to the images that you paint with your words. Another fine piece.
Yes you were correct in interpreting my piece as Helen, Menelaus, etc…
Thank you very much for the feedback Steve; so good to know I didn’t go astray on your fine poem.
This is one of your best Anna..
lovely
my mommy says… we can’t clap with a single hands… it takes 2 🙂
its mutual
Awesome read !!
Thanks Jyoti and for the read at Carbon Noise Poetry; great to see you making the rounds!
what a treat to read it again…there is wildness and unrestrained emotions in this for sure anna…love it..and just fell in love very unexpectedly with the watercolor turtles…smiles…
Thank you ever so much Claudia for the reread. The holiday weekend has been a rollercoaster ride so it wasn’t possible to link a new poem.
As the man said, “What have they done to the earth? What have they done to our fair sister?” It makes me sadder than does any human conflict.
It is rending and irreversible. Thank you for coming by to read.
Anna- Powerful poem… I especially like the last two stanzas.
Thanks for the reread Laurie.
a steaming, masterfl write.
🙂
Thank you :).