capri0mni | (Reply)

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Is there a theme for your Art Garden?

There's always a theme. This time, since it will be the final one, ever, the theme is "Harvest"... And I am torn between wanting to write something New and Utterly Epic, and wanting to submit something I've already written -- namely, the final poem in my "Monster Challenges" series:

THE MONSTER CHALLENGE: SEARCH FOR MEANING

In looking down upon my naked self:
My lap, my scars, my hands, and crooked feet,
My posture's slant, my elbow's inner bend,
I sometimes wonder what it means to see.
This "looking at myself from where I am"
Is not at all like looking at a stone.

The words that echo through my memory
From all the languages I've heard -- or seen,
Like forest leaves that shift in every wind,
Their shadows hide -- disguise -- the things I see.
It's through this tangled forest I must go
To find my truth, and know just what I am.
There is one word-- it catches like a thorn.
And though it stings, I trace its twisted growth.
I find a path, and there I find the root:
That "monster," once, meant "Creature Born Deformed,"
(Something like me?), "a Warning From the Gods--"
One shadow pierced. This light can answer fear.
And here's the fruit: it's heavy -- rich with seed.
I'll plant one for myself, and start anew.

I mean, on the one hand, this last Art Garden will be my last chance to rise to this particular annual challenge to write something brand new.

On the other hand, however, this one poem kind of hits a perfect "Final Art Garden" Thrice-Perfect score:

1) Its central theme is the power of language, and the impact of the memories of all the stories and poems absorbed through the years. On this particular night, every audience member and fellow writer will be meditating on that exact experience, so they'll be particularly receptive to that point.

2) It's final image, is, in fact, one of harvest -- and the knowledge that the end of one journey is the start of something new.

3) Irene has been urging me for several years to be brave enough to present something autobiographical, rather than sticking to my comfort zone of writing metaphorical fairy tales... especially since, as the only person in the group with a physical disability, I can reveal a unique experience that no one else can ... I've always demurred, precisely because of this last point. But this last Art Garden will also be my last chance to say something really personal and honestly revealing to this whole group (including people who come sit in the audience, but have never been up on the stage). And it might be a good way to say "good bye" -- especially since it also draws on the fairy tale image of the Deep Dark Wood, and connects the make-believe to the autobiography (maybe).

So, I don't know... I was thinking of emailing Irene and asking her about the possibility.