poem

Practicing Hope /  by Anne Ylvisaker

A year and more ago I was finding solace from the political turmoil in the world by tuning in to the physical world around me, surprised by the small but significant delights I found there. Taking these moments back to my desk, the act of writing and drawing about them soothed me, gave me hope. The world goes on. 

After my show of poems and paintings Surprised by Delight was up in a gallery for the spring and summer, I didn't stop noticing, but I fell away from the practice of writing and drawing about these moments. 

Now, in the spring of 2020, as we live in an uncertain present, I am finding tremendous comfort in the daily act of noticing, turning words around, noodling with pen and paint. I am surprised every day when new delights appear, and when words rise up to greet them. I have hope. 

 

Words the Birds Say:

 

cheery up cheery up

luckluckluckluck

we        see        you  we        see        you

cheery up up up

 

My Dog Dreams /  by Anne Ylvisaker

 

 

My Dog Dreams

My dog dreams of deep grass

a pungent trail

squirrel tails

corpulent frogs

a tasty stick

He's a lion lurking

stalking deer

hunting with eagles

soaring with hawks

He's a coyote keening

for a broken moon

a black bear cub

in his underground room

he's conquering winter

conjuring spring

My dog dreams of deep grass

-sketch and poem,  Anne Ylvisaker

 

It's Thursday. I'm writing. Buster's in the doorway, dreaming. We're both waiting for spring.