Seven Deadly Sins

A while back, while in the midst of a brief writer's drought, I went looking for a writer's prompt, something to write to. I do this often when my own spirits don't seem inspired. Ultimately I came up with the idea of writing a cycle of poems on the Seven Deadly Sins. I thought I would post them here, as something different from my normal fare.

This is the two of them. I'll post the others over the next week or two until this post has them all in it.


Pride

Pride, hidden in humility,
hidden from others,
and more, from yourself,

is destructive
to all it touches,
not killing

but wounding,
torturing,
leaving souls torn
like open sores,
rarely heal.


Gluttony

Nothing.
Not the ancient walls of brick that surround you,
or the rooms of fine antiques,
or the lush carpets beneath your feet,
not the trips to far placees
or the days of leisure.
Nothing

is enough.

How it must torture you
as you see those with so much less,
who do not suffer your hunger,

for the more
that is always just beyond your grasp,
tantalizing,

taunting,
starving you
in the midst of God's plenty.

=====================

I don't have a lot of photos that show the idea of these seven deadly sins, so I turned to Flikr. It seems that a number of photographers there have done cycles of pictures on the them, and it was fun and fascinating to go through them. This one is by mcdiejdh, and you can see more of his pictures here.

Tom

Thoughts: Tradition, Manners and Creativity

two nights ago, as I walked up to the door of my hotel, I opened the door for two young women. I didn't think much of it until, after a cursory "thank you" to me, one of the women said to the other "How original!"

Original? Opening doors for someone? I learned to do it watching my grandfather and I am old enough to be a grandfather myself. But when something as "old fashioned" as manners is "original", suddenly applying them poses the possibility of becoming creative.

There might be something to that, really. Today, ignoring people and trampling on their sensitivies, rudeness and ignoring convention seems to be pretty normal. Think about it - in movies, TV and popular culture, very little seems to have much shock value any more. People are rarely surprised by rudeness, but when someone is particularly kind or solicitous, they are surprised.

I laugh at this in a way. Manners suddenly have the chance to be.... dare I say it..... an agent of creativity? Subversive in a positive way?

I work in the TV industry, which is not known for being very traditional. TV people, whether in programming or the technology end where I work, are known for always looking for the next big thing. And so there is always surprise when people find that I am a pretty traditional Christian. Some are even intrigued by it. It's seen as surprising.

And that is what creativity is... surprising. It's that ability to surprise and grab interest that arks creativity. How odd that tradition, manners and old fashioned virtues are now avenues for creativity. But it seems they are.

But for those of us who have had those things instilled in us, it's another reason to hang on to them. Not just because they have value inherently (I happen to believe they do), but also because they are now an opportunity to be creative. So apply those manners. Be kind. Embrace your traditions. You've gone from the back of the line to the forefront of creativity, just by staying where you are!

Tom


PS: The picture is of the kitchen in a house in Washington County, NY, where I once took a class on cooking over an open hearth, colonial style. The house and it's simple graciousness reminds me of the best of tradition, and that's why I chose it for this post. You can click on it for a larger version.

Poem: God's Houses

God's Houses

The small bench at the porch's edge,
with it's perfect view of God's garden.
The soft white afghan crumpled in the corner.

The pathway behind cold offices,
dappled with light and shadow
and the rich green of Irish light.

The cabin, high in the Vermont mountains
where fall's final leaves dance
to the stream's symphony below you.

The park, that tiny oasis
with its manicured silence
in the midst of bustling London,

The moment of sunrise over the Asian city
before the children awake
while you stand alone on the balcony.

An hour spent in the coffee shop
the morning rush flowing by
as you look inward to your soul.

God's peace is all around us,
wherever we stop,
and listen.

==============

The picture is of the sky outside my hotel room while I was working last Friday - one of those moments of peace in the midst of madness. You can click on it for a larger view.

Tom

Quote of the Week: May 26

"The stoic scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet, when we want shoes." - Johnathan Swift.

Since 1991, I have put a "quote of the week" at the end of my e-mails. Often people ask me if I can pull up this quote or another and generally, I can't. So I decide to begin posting my quote of the week here on my blog. If you want to see a list of them, just hit the "quotes" tag to the right and they should all come up for you to view.

The picture is at the Johnson farm, near Peaks of Otter, Va. You can click on it for a larger view.

Tom

Poets discuss their faith

I think this is a great site.

It's a partial list of twentieth-century poets who write in some way about their Christian faith. For some it's explicit, openly discussing matters of theology and experience. This includes a variety of denominations -- Catholic , Orthodox , mainline Protestant , Calvinist and evangelical . For some this faith could only be called non-denominational --mixing Christianity with Zen or Native American spirituality . For others, this faith is more implicit and only eluded to. For some, it is unclear where they presently stand in relationship to the traditional Christian faith. Others have a clear church affiliation, but only speak of their faith on occasion.

These poets represent a wide variety of positions, from liberal to radical to conservative. It include poets who converted mid course n life, and others who later abandoned the church. Every view of faith is included.

I've never seen anything like this before, and it's a great resource.

Poem: The Edge of Safety

The Edge of Safety

Like a child on a swing you reach for the sky,
ever higher, reaching for that magical spot
just beyond the edge of safety

When you are no longer earthbound,
but fly,
where magic is possible,

and love is no longer a mystery,
but simply is.

================
The photograph is not one of mine. It is by "Guacamole Goalie" on Flikr, and is used under a Creative Commons copyright license. You can see more of his photos here.

Poem: April Dance

April Dance

This year, as you carefully watch
the entry of spring,
the day to day ebb and flow
of temperature, sun, growth and cold,

you notice how, like love, it is a mix
of fear and fireworks,
of color and frost,
less a march than a dance

of charge and retreat,
stillness and frenzy,
of cold nights and sun drenched days,
a fluid pirouette
to the languid, lush perfection of summer.

============
The photograph is of a garden in Williamsburg, Virginia. You can click on it for a larger version.

Tom

Art is a Way of Knowing

This morning I began a new book, Art is a Way of Knowing by Pat Allen, subtitled A guide to self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment through creativity.

I have long been interested in the link between spirituality and creativity, first led to think about it when I read Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way", and I have read and even taught on the subject off and on for over a decade. I have noticed in my own situation, that my spiritual life has paralleled my creative life. When I was actively and positively creative, my spiritual life and that feeling of being close to God was also active and positive.

Which feeds which? Does the creative spirit open me to God, or does God's spirit open me to creativity? I don't have that answer, but I do feel the two are indelibly connected. Here is the passage in Art is a Way of Knowing that snagged me. In the section before, Pat Allen talks about how she had always kept images. She says...

"I did this, I think, because I felt in a way that I didn't exist. My existence was marginal, uncompelling, because my feelings, necessary fora sense of meaning, were missing. Art making is my way of bringing soul back into my life. Soul is the place where the messiness of life is tolerated, where feelings animate the narration of life, where story exists. Soul is the place where I am replenished and can experience both the gardens and graveyards. Art is my way of knowing who I am.

It is very possible to give a very convincing portrayal of life even with one's soul in exile. Only the meaning is missing. When I first began doing work with images, there were times I thought I was insane, so unfamiliar to me was the chaos of human feeling. I have felt split off from sunlight and laughter even as I stood in the sunlight and laughed with friends, and thought no one else ever felt this way. Images have allowed me to reclaim some of what was lost in growing up, the ability to have feelings fully, and in the moment. I don't believe that art cures or fixes, rather it restores the connection to the soul, which is always waiting to be reclaimed."

I have lived in the place she describes, and so these two paragraphs in the preface, told me I needed to read this book. Not an artist? Then substitute the word poetry (what I write) or music, or gardens or woodworking or ... You get the idea. Creativity, that part of God that we all have in us, part of his image in us, is part of the connection between us and God.

I just started the book, so I can't tell you how it works, how well it's written, or what change it might have on me as I read it, but it was worth buying the book to read this one passage, and be reminded of the real power of creativity, it's ability to help us reconnect with soul.

I bought my copy new at the Northshire Bookstore. They probably have more there. They also have a used copy for sale at a good discount, if you wanted to order it.

Poem: Fragments Make the Whole

Fragments Make the Whole

Fragments of paper are pulled out of the drawer,
torn envelopes, faded yellow note cards,
lined school paper, legal pad pages, each

with a few ragged lines of verse,
snippets of almost poems,
stillborn over a decade,

never quite completed,
yet never quite abandoned,
and at times, like tonight,

brought out and read,
each short line bringing to mind
memories, brief flashes,

like in a movie full of flashbacks
where all the little snapshots flash
to give a picture

of the now you were becoming
for all those years.

=================
The picture is of the ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio, in Las Vegas. They are glass flowers. You can click on it to see a larger version.

Tom

Chrstians in the Visual Arts

Christians in the Visual Arts exists to explore and nurture the relationship between the VISUAL ARTS and the CHRISTIAN FAITH. Founded in 1979, CIVA first met to consider the place of the Christian artist in the church and in the world-at-large. The success of this initial gathering led CIVA to establish a vision for activities which are now making an impact in a variety of ways. There are exhibitions, supports for artists, publications, links and many other helps and tools

CIVA exists to encourage Christian in the Visual Arts to develop their callings to the highest professional level possible, to learn how to deal with specific issues in the field of art without compromising faith OR their standards of art, and to provide a place for sharing work and understanding in a spirit of trust. In short, CIVA. seeks to establish a co-operative relationship between the arts, the church and society, and to establish a Christian presence within the secular art world. Seen, the magazine publication of CIVA, is a thoughtful look at art, the church and culture.

Anyone who has heard me rant about art in the church knows that an organization like CIVA would be dear to my heart, and I have followed them and supported them for years. If you are interested in art and the church, this is an organization you should look into.

Tom

Quote of the Week - May 18, 2008

"The minute you start talking about what you will do if you lose, you have lost." - George Shultz

Since 1991, I have put a "quote of the week" at the end of my e-mails. Often people ask me if I can pull up this quote or another and generally, I can't. So I decide to begin posting my quote of the week here on my blog. If you want to see a list of them, just hit the "quotes" tag to the right and they should all come up for you to view.

Tom

Poem: I Write Because

I Write Because

I write because I cannot find the words,
because my mind, so nimble when confronted
with the day to day challenge of conversation,
of solving everyday problems that fall like rain,
fails when faced with it's own heart.

And so I pause, and stare inward,
half in fear, half in anticipation,
always in a wonderment that defies math and logic,
and write unprovable poems of myth and truth.

=====================

The picture is a tulip in my back yard, taken a couple of springs ago. You can click on it to see a larger version.

Tom

Poetry Wednesday?

I was a big fan of Poetry Thursday, a writer's prompt site for poets that used to post a new prompt each Thursday, then urged poets to write to the prompt, and share a link to their poem in the comments section. I used their prompts many times when I was stuck, or just needed to break my mold for a poem or two, and I enjoyed reading what others wrote as well. But alas, the writers of Poetry Thursday went on to new and different things and the weekly prompts dried up.

Robert Brewer, who writes the "Poetic Asides" blog and the poetry newsletter for Writer's Digest, has taken up the cause, and is now posting a poetry prompt each Wednesday. So if you were a fan of Poetry Thursday, move your calendar up a day and restart your tradition, and restart your prompted poetry!

Tom

About This Blog

Like each of us in our lives, this blog's life has been a journey. It's first lease on life was strictly commercial, a simple ploy to draw customers into an agency that I was once a partner in. I would occasionally throw in a poem I had written or a picture I had shot, and to my surprise, more people viewed and commented on these personal expressions than the more commerce-driven entries.

Changes in Blogger and changes in my own life contributed to changed here. Once, hiccups in Blogger simply closed my blog down; made it disappear and Blogger, while a wonderful and free service, is not in the resurrection business. Once a blog has disappeared, it is gone forever. Once I just shut it down, overwhelmed by events and unsure of direction.

Disappearing blogs do not have cosmic consequence, but it is interesting that in both cases, the disappearing blogs seem to hit about the time major life changes were happening in my own life. Life changes of course, whatever form they take, are times of re-evaluation, times to review and rethink, and often to change.

Which brings us to this blog. It's focused on creativity in many forms. I am a poet, writer, artist and photographer, but I happen to think creativity comes in all forms. I've known tremendously creative plumbers, engineers and housewives, so you will get a lot of variety here. You'll find some creative tidbits of my own - poems and photographs and short essays on whatever pops into my mind from time to time. You will also find links to sites that inspire, teach, and make me think, and that I think other creative people might find useful.

Regular visitors will probably notice a fair number of Christian references. I have a deep sense that faith and creativity are intrinsically linked, and feel that somehow, the Church has, in a few hundred years, gone from the center of creativity in the world, to being a place where creativity is often looked at askance, and worse, often discouraged. I see signs that that trend may be changing however, and when I find encouragements and helps for Christian creatives, I like to make them available for others to find and use.

Last of all, I hope to eventually localize this blog, finding local artists, poets, and creative people of all stripes and colors to showcase here. So stay tuned and see what I find.

The poems, photographs and essays are copyrighted. I probably don't mind you using them with attribution, but I'd appreciate you asking. Likewise, when I use something that is not mine, I'll give the author, artist or photographer full credit.

Thanks for visiting. I hope this little blog is a blessing to you.