by: Merril D. Smith

This book of poetry is luscious, rich with words and resplendent with photographs. It inspired me to draw.

Sister Songs

This was the first poem that I remembered when I finished reading the book. It’s not long, and Merril was kind enough to send us a recording of her reciting it. So, let’s listen to it, instead of reading it!

I sent a few photos of the drawing, to Merril. Photos of art are difficult to take. They never look exactly like they do in real life, they change with the light.

Merril – It’s gorgeous in any light! Thank you so much! 

Merril -One thing–that you could not possibly know–for me, the poem has three figures. That’s just me, and of course, you wouldn’t know that. [My younger sister, my niece who is like my sister, and I spent a lot of time caring for and coordinating the care for my mom.]

Resa – That’s …. beautiful. Your mom was so loved.

Time – Passing, Cycling, Enduring

This next drawing is representative of many poems in the book. Merril depicts time through nature; its seasons changing, dying and renewal, family generations, birds, waves, clouds, storms coming… going.

In this regard, she speaks much of the beauty of life. To depict that, I have drawn a beautiful woman, in an earthy gown. The gown turns into an upside down tree. Its branches depict the changing seasons, time.

Question for everyone! I’d love to see some answers in comments.

Spontaneously – What is the colour that comes to your mind when I say TIME?

Think more about it! – Now what colours do you see?

Merril – Well, you’d probably guess that I said blue.

Resa – Yes…I did figure blue!

Merril – Then I see blue–various shades, ombre kind of thing– then darkening with shimmery stars and pops of red and yellow–like space. Like a movie of space. 

Resa – I asked a good friend. He said blue. Then, a few moments later he blurted out, green. Later he said he saw time as a sandy colour… not quite gold, but earthy.

Merril – I get what he said, too. I like that his changes, too, because time moves.

Clasped and Cradled

(inspired by “French Lavender Head,” an art piece by Karen Pierce Gonzalez)

In her hands-jolts of electric blue--
The incense of ocean and earth, lavender
and brine, seaweed and peat. A pop of red chilies,
some saffron, spring greens, roses--
this is my world, she thinks,
clutches it tighter.

Resa – To me, a fascination lies in “art inspiring art”. In the case of “French Lavender Head”, the art inspired a poem, then the poem inspired art. It’s cycling: Art to poetry to art. 

Merril – I like the idea of circling inspiration–art to poetry to art. Isn’t that the way? We’re all inspired by what we see, hear, smell, taste, read about. . .and then each individual interprets these things, that then get reinterpreted, and on and on.

Stormy Spirit Conundrum

The first image I drew was this flying woman against an unknown mystery background. It’s inspired by a feel in the book, and of specific lines, but not any 1 poem.

but my ancestors spread wings
that covered centuries
to catch me, guide me,

You can, they said,
as they showed me that I have my own wings-
unfold them, fly. This, too, is part of the pattern.

I took the shot on a cloudy day and closed the aperture to get a mystery feel.

Crushed beneath
an un-mooned sky
black shapes drift inside
of grey

who finally see the shadows
like storm clouds-and the bitter rain,
a tidal surge,

Then I thought, but it’s too dark. People will get the wrong impression. After all, there’s lots of light in this book.

There are days I want to remember I-we-
are made of starry specks, stellar dust,
and feel the light we carry within.

So, I opened the aperture on a sunny day, and took more pics. Nothing seemed like “stellar dust”, so I did editing until:

Then I thought, “that’s not it either.” Having taken shots in different light, then editing all the different shots… I ended up with a couple dozen different versions of the same drawing.

Then I realized why I couldn’t get a grip! Time slips through our fingers. Only time can hold time, within its folds.

CHANGING SPIRIT OF FLYING WOMAN SLIDESHOW

Time moves on, and things keep changing, changing, changing…. That is why my flying woman kept changing. She’s flowing with the spirit of this book.

About Merril D. Smith

To learn more about this amazing writer & poet, just click on her pic below and go to her website.

You can also click here and visit Merril on her blog!

Held Within the Folds of Time is available in hardcover and ebook format on Amazon. Click on the cover and go there!

THANK YOU MERRIL FOR WRITING AMAZING POETRY!

… and taking wonderful photos …