“Elephant Walk”

Artwork 2 of 4 from the ‘Play’ series, sketch in progress. 

Jessica McCallum © 2011

 

ELEPHANT WALK                                                                      

When I was a child

I remember thinking

that chain around

the elephant’s leg

wasn’t strong enough.

 

Elephants are tough!

If he wanted, he

could free himself just

by lifting that mighty foot

shaking the metal loose

and walking away…

 

Why does he stay?

 

No-one could stop him

If he chose to go,  take

his own path. No more

performance on command

– he could find some green.

 

Walk through jungles again!

 

Elephants are tough so

why does he stay, stroll

through sawdust, put up

with that lady who leans

into his ear, whispering…

 

It’s because he loves her.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2011

 Written to the art of Jessica McCallum for her 2011 Exhibition:  “All the pretty Ones Are… “

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #JessicaMcCallum  #ArtAsTheSpark  #AllThePrettyOnesAre  #AnimalArt  #ForTheLoveOf  #ElephantWalk  “ART:Play2  #Poem  #Poetry

 

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Keep

 

 ‘KEEP’

 

It takes all my strength to pull this life to me,

To claw and tear my way from one day to another

Not counting, just tearing one more here in the glow

of the sun suffocated by rays of light and warmth

holding tight to ties that bind. I want to keep

these precious feelings and bask in your love forever.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2009

Written to the artwork of Jessica McCallum entitled ‘Keep’ and exhibited in 2009 during the ‘JM Exhibition’, His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth, Western Australia.

 

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #JessicaMcCallum  #ARTIST:JessicaMcCallum  #POEM:Keep

#ART:JMExhibition  #ArtAsTheSpark  #Art&Poetry  #Poetry

 

 

 

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Making Up

Jessica McCallum © 2011

 

Making Up

Are we all clowns, underneath?

With faces painted, emotions

cleverly masked, windows

of the soul… concealed?

 

When make-up is removed

Will it wash away fears,

finally reveal thoughts,

make us naked?

 

Or tattoo a memory

of past love in pain

punishing or celebrating

that which shapes us.

 

Perhaps still clothe ourselves

In past experiences

keeping them close

to our hearts?

 

…and what colour should love be

on the face we show the world?

Is fear the white make-up base?

 

Do Blue Brows give early warnings

above our windows of the soul,

predict a cautious tale of woe?

 

The vehicle of words which wound

wears lipstick red – do they reveal

blood spilt in misunderstanding?

 

Are we all clowns, underneath?

With faces painted, emotions

cleverly masked, windows

of the soul… concealed?

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2011

 

#POEM:MakingUp   #poetry  #clowns  #HiddenFears  #ArtAsTheSpark

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African Hands

Original ‘Praying Hands’ Painting  by Rosa Niehaus © 1960’s

African Hands

I saw a picture the other day

of two hands clasped in prayer.

The story they told was the truth

about an old man from his youth.

 

The lines of worry were all there

with the happiness, love and despair.

With the death he had seen

of the friends that had been…

 

Showing the scars of war,

all the fights from before.

When he looks at his hands, does he see

how his future’s going to be?

 

A struggle before he dies?–

We should all have eternal lives!

He knows death must be near,

I wonder if he has any fear?

 

Frances Macaulay Forde @ 1973

The painting proudly on show in our lounge in Kitwe,  Zambia, for many years.

@FrancesMForde  #FrancesMacForde  #POEM:AfricanHands  #poetry  #ArtAsTheSpark   #Africa

#ARTIST:RosaNiehaus  #ThesePrayingHands  #1968Notebook

 

 

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Art as the Spark

Raincheck Exhibition Jessica McCallum© 2010

 

Raindrops

Like tears,

rain hits my umbrella.

Bouncing, bursting

droplets scattering,

spreading my pain.

Shimmering images.

Reflections of you.

 

Love like rain,

showers me

with tears.

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2010

written to the artwork of Jessica McCallum  ‘Raincheck Exhibition’, 2010.

#FrancesMForde  #AllThePrettyOnesAre  #JessicaMcCallum  #RaincheckExhib  #Poetry

 

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Seascape

 

Saw this painting on Facebook by Linda Ibbotson and was inspired.

Ebb and Flow

Emotion clash

Blood pumps

Heart bursts

 

Power jars

Merging still

Pulled apart

 

Ebb and flow

Jealousy bite

Clash churns

 

Fusion of fear

Feeling cold

Losing faith

 

Sunset heat

Passions pale

Discard love

 

Piercing pain

Clutch and stab

Empty hands

 

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2014 

#FrancesMacaulayForde  #LindaIbbotson  #ArtAsTheSpark  #SeaPoem

 

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Kept

For those who didn’t go to Jessica McCallum’s linked pages in yesterday’s post, I thought I would share the other poem written to her second painting in the set.

 

KEPT

Here I am, waiting for your touch,

pulling down the sun – shouting

screaming to be heard above

white noise; direct lines dedicated,

servers on your world wide web.

I feel the electric zings tingling

finger tips to toes, turn my cheek

expecting the slap as you run away…

Frances Macaulay Forde © 2009

#FrancesMacaulayForde    #ARTISTJessicaMcCallum   #POEM:Kept  #ArtAsTheSpark  #JessicaMcCallum  #Love  #HoldingLove  #Poems  #LovePoem

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