THROUGH THE LAPIS SKY

THROUGH THE LAPIS SKY

Through the lapis sky

the sound of ducks crossing

the rays of the sun

beyond my vision lies the sphinx

of hope that moves

across the sky each night

before I arise each morning

I look for the glue in the air

and out my window comes

the exuberance of dawn

2/26/93

AMONG THE TREES

AMONG THE TREES

among the trees

another song of blackbirds

whispering in the classroom

the children invent new lives

and the birds are jealous

among the trees

the window reflects the pond

the invisible air is jealous

of the whispering in the classroom

I look to the order of the sky

to find my way home to the end of  a sentence

among the trees

whispering in the classroom

2/26/93  CPITS writing in class, first draft

PLASTER BANDAGE MASK WORKSHOP for kids

PLASTER BANDAGE MASKS        

Dear Parents and Kids:

We’re making plaster bandage masks on Mon. Feb. 22. If you’d like to assist your child to make a mask, you’re welcome to join us.

We use cold cream or Vaseline to protect each child’s face from the plaster (it’s like getting a facial!) But each child will need to bring something to hold the hair off the face—such as a hair band, a stretchy tube sock cut into bands, the neck of a tee shirt, hair clips, a cap, or even a plastic bag!

It’s a good idea to wear a large old tee-shirt as a smock, as it’s a messy project. Also bring a soft wash cloth to wash those GREASY faces after the mask comes off. Allergies are rare—but please let us know if you have any concerns.

We begin the workshop with the beginning: creation stories, the first masks, masks of various cultures, the importance of masks—and we’ll explore other options, developing personal themes for the decoration of our masks.

• Masks to help things—masks to heal the environment, masks to make corn grow, masks to facilitate understanding between peoples.

• Masks to stop things—the destruction of the rainforest, to stop Fido from chewing up the homework mask, masks to stop nightmares.

• Masks of origin: totem animal and ancestor masks, futuristic masks, fantasy masks.

HOMEWORK IDEAS: Make a collage mask using magazine photos, find mask shapes hidden in in ordinary everyday objects—cars, bottles, etc.)

We will need lots of interesting goodies to adorn the masks. Think of texture, shininess, color, symbolism, patterns, designs and shapes as you search for small objects that are personal, or that you love, but make sure it’s OK to take them first! Let your imagination run on a wild raid through the junk drawers and boxes—these places contain some fascinating bits of family history.  Also bring things to share with the class—we’ll have a potlatch. 

Some suggestions include: feathers, leather scraps, fur, interesting material, old wrapping paper,  shells, shell bits, small pebbles, bottle caps, buttons, corks, yarns, sequins, beads—big & small, Spanish (mushdash) moss, raffia, tinsel, Easter hay, lace, ribbon (for hair and presents), pipe cleaners, bells, interesting (homemade?) paper, cardboard, heavy paper, shiny foils and decorative papers, bones, pine cones, acorns, bits of costume jewelry, small toys or pieces of toys, dead watches, keys, neat material. . .  

If you have felt, bring it to line the inside of the mask. And some elastic to tie it to your head. 
AND thanks for helping us out!

MY POEM IS FREEWRITE CPITS

My poem is full of beans
hopping from idea to idea
like a frog in the neighbor’s lily pond.
My poem screams lunch in crowded doorways,
always looking for the obvious connections,
executing them at dawn
for being ordinary and plebeian.
My poem makes words march across the page,
it doesn’t take surrender for an answer,
nor white flags of truth.
It doesn’t understand the reasons behind boredom,
or closed doors, it’s a thief
stealing small pieces of your soul
and it scatters it on the streets
to feed the pigeons when you’re not listening.
It jumps up and down like a flea in a circus.
It’s as old as time, yet younger than an egg.
It’s as mean as spaghetti strap slithering down
the lost arms of the moon, its  heart is punctuated
by stray semicolons and its dream
is to discover lost continents of words
to ride them home and put them away
dog tired and wet, useless as toilet paper
with nowhere to go but down the drain.

I possess the sound of the wind and my invention
is the voice of forgetfulness, of Lethe,
of sleep, my mask grants wishes,
singing the names of the wind.
My spirit guide is lost underground
looking for the beginning of an idea.
I keep going back to the mountains of my dreams,
sleep as light piercing a pool.
The animal inside the reflecting pool
swims across my heart.
I invented the process of time and the songs
issue forth like the mottos
written above the door to my heart.
The last place on earth I’d want to be
isn’t anywhere; it doesn’t exist
except maybe in some godforsaken backwash
where no one knows the reason why they were born,
or why they’re alive.
If I were granted anything,
I’d take the money and run,
hellbent for leather with the rain
pouring down on my heart,
with the rain pouring down on my soul,
with the rain pouring down, down, down
until I drown in the wind’s thoughts.

2/15/93

INWARD PATH, FREEWRITE ON QUESTIONS EXERCISE

INWARD PATH

Inscribed over the door to my room
are the origins of language
because the animals inside are hiding
at the ends of the earth and what guards me
is the traveling wind in the horse latitudes.
I keep going back to those dream places,
West Marin, the Galapagos.
I’m not sure I’d wish for simultaneous lives,
to travel in time, to be in several places at once,
the world is a path inward.
I can see beyond the wall of space
because the tiger inside me never sleeps.
The saxophone growls and hisses mellifluous
as the headdresses of Egyptian Pharaohs
inside the study of time is another small room
where dwells the places of the heart.

2/15/93
CPITS

PLASTER-BANDAGE MASK WORKSHOP for Adults

PLASTER-BANDAGE MASKS

Learn how to make plaster masks at the AC poetry retreat on Fri. Feb. 12, and Sat. aft., Feb. 13 at Silverpenny Farm. We will use plaster bandages to transform our faces and our art.

Some ideas: make masks to help things—to heal the environment, to make corn (or money) grow, to facilitate understanding between peoples.
Masks to stop things—the destruction of the rainforest, to stop Fido from chewing up the AC contracts and paperwork, to stop nightmares.
Masks of origin: totem animal and ancestor masks, futuristic masks, fantasy masks.

We’ll explore options, developing personal themes for the decoration of our masks.

HOMEWORK IDEAS: Make a collage mask using magazine photos, find mask shapes hidden in ordinary everyday objects—cars, bottles, etc.)

We will need lots of interesting goodies to adorn the masks.
Think of texture, shininess, color, symbolism, patterns, designs and shapes as you search for small objects that are personal, or that you love. Let your imagination run wild through the junk drawers and boxes—these places contain some fascinating bits of family history. Also bring things to share with the class—we’ll have a potlatch.

THINGS TO BRING:

• Thick greasy cold cream or Vaseline to protect your face from plaster (like getting a facial!).

• Something to hold the hair off the face—a hair band, a stretchy tube sock cut into bands, the neck of a tee shirt, hair clips, bobby pins, a cap, or a plastic bag. Beards need Saran Wrap.

• A soft wash cloth to wash those GREASY faces after the mask comes off. Tools: scissors, paint brushes, acrylic, or specialty paints, fabric paints, (we'll provide poster paints) glue, hot glue gun, glitter, etc.

• Ornaments: feathers, fur, interesting material, leather scraps, interesting (homemade?) paper, pretend money, cardboard, shiny foils and decorative papers, shells, small pebbles, bottle caps, buttons, sequins, beads, dried flowers & weeds, Spanish moss, raffia, tinsel, lace, ribbon, yarn, pipe cleaners, bells, bones, pine cones, acorns, bits of costume jewelry, small pieces of toys, dead watches, keys. . If you have felt, bring it to line the inside of the mask. And some elastic to tie it to your head. Since plaster bandages for masks is very expensive, a $5 donation toward supplies would be welcome.

We'll need:

• Demo masks—bring some of your Chinese and Latin American masks; I'll bring plaster demos. 

• Poster paint: red, yellow, blue plus turquoise, magenta, black & white, gesso, clear sealant. Big flat 1/2" wide poster paint brushes, and small round watercolor brushes. 6 to 12 egg cartons to mix paints, and large containers to rinse brushes, paper towels, newspaper.

• Surgical bandages 4" rolls; each roll makes 2-3 masks—depending upon face size. 

• Vaseline. Lots of scissors to cut bandages; I have a pattern to u se.

• Interesting junk to add onto masks Hot glue guns and tacky glue (&/or Elmer's Glue—it makes a good clear glaze too). Elastic and paper ring hole reinforcers for the holes, felt to line the masks.