Maybe It Is My Heart
Maybe it is my heart I hear when I think I hear Coyotes.
Maybe it is my heart I hear in the croaking of the frogs.
Maybe it is my heart tap-tap-tapping on the window glass.
Maybe it is my heart walking across the rooftop.
Maybe it is my heart howling in the treetops.
Maybe it is my heart in the two long rumbles of thunder.
Maybe it is my heart in the three-minute violence of hail.
Maybe it is my heart in the rustle of the Redwood trees.
Maybe it is my heart in the weeping of the loon.
Maybe it is my heart in the quiet undulations of the reservoir
Maybe it is my heart that splits the water with the paddle.
Maybe it is my heart that reflects from the breast of the waves.
Maybe it is my heart that has found its own places
Maybe it is my heart that is looking for me.
This post came about because of a Facebook message from Linda Levy, a friend of many years who lives in Bonny Doon, California. When she saw news of my upcoming show entitled “The Poet’s Eye, the Artist’s Tongue,” she sent a photo of a piece we collaborated on when I was the curator of the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center in Ben Lomond, CA. I used that title for a show that involved artists and poets collaborating on pieces. Either the artist showed the poet a work of art they had created and the poet wrote a poem to go along with it or the poet presented a poem for the artist to make a piece to go with. In this case, I gave her the poem and the illustration above is the cardboard and paper sculpture she made. The ripped-out pieces of poetry on the desk are the words of the poem above.
That show reoccured on a yearly basis for a number of years after I left and Linda assumed the curatorship. Can’t believe that was twenty years ago and SCMAC is still going strong. Long story short, when Jesus asked me to do a show with him in his gallery, since both of us are writers and artists, I thought the title would work well for our show, so I resurrected it. Thanks, Linda, for the memories.
Poem by jdb Sculpture and photo by Linda Levy
Here is another photo of the lid of the box just sent to me by Linda:
Thanks sharing this . Very poetic.
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Thanks for reading and commenting. That means a lot.
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Very poignant, very powerful.
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This is an awesome poem and idea Judy.
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Thanks, Sadje. It is one I found that I wrote more than 20 years ago. An old friend brought it to my attention.
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I’m glad you shared it
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I love my mother and grandmother’s old kitchen tools and bowls. Very special. I think of them every time I use them.
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What a lovely connection.
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Nice when past efforts come back around, bringing such pleasant memories. Thanks for sharing.
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It is.
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How wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Judy.
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Judy what a beautiful poem, and I think you know the answer to the pondering. What a wonderful idea to create ekphrastic art that way and so good to know it’s continuing there. Are you in the show also with Jesus? Did I miss that post?
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Yes. Our show is March 26 in Ajijic.
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