Sunday, January 30, 2011

Relief Prints (Poem)


Iquanyin Moon, Footprints
© Iquanyin Moon Used With Permission

Relief Prints

Cut away what you will.
The parts that fail to make the impression

won't catch the light below the surface
inked and imprinted and equally dark.

Press all you want. The areas unprepared
for that first dry run can be wiped

and rewiped clean. Material supple enough
takes all kinds of lines.

Push where you want, taking care
to check how deeply you incise what you want

to be remembered. Think of each gouge
you make like you would the heart:

recessing before lifting up from the shadows.

© 2011 Maureen E. Doallas
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This poem is inspired by today's One Shoot Sunday Picture Prompt Challenge at One Stop Poetry. Featured there is an interview with photographer Iquanyin Moon and the picture prompt that you see above.

Anyone may participate in the challenge. Go here to read the interview conducted by Chris Galford and then scroll down for instructions for the challenge. Be sure to add your link to share your poem or prose piece with the other contributors.

9 comments:

dustus said...

Your poem reminds me of the care taken of a serious artist absorbed in creating. Not to generalize, but I think with lines such as "Material supple enough / takes all kinds of lines" ...that may be why I draw the comparison: thinking of lines that create optical illusions, as well as ones written to form layers of double entendre. Great title too.

Glynn said...

Leaving footprints as a life lesson: taking care to leave the kind of footprints we want to leave, because we all leave footprints.

Nice one, Maureen.

Brian Miller said...

ncie i really like the last couple lines about the heart...each impression remembered even once wiped away there...

Jenne' R. Andrews said...

exquisite-- again so impressed by your recent work, M-xxJenne'

Cheryl Snell said...

This is very nice, Maureen -- the tone and the details are pitch- perfect to set up that luminous close.

Lavonne said...

That first line sealed it for me. The freedom found in acceptance and patience...enjoyed!

Brendan said...

As it has been said, the poem is a wonderful emulation of its own making -- of all making. I loved the final lines, letting us know that the imprint of any poem should measure the heart's own sine wave between pouring out and receding.

Claudia said...

i agree with brendan - these last lines struck me most and lifting up from the shadows resonates with me

Kavita said...

Now these are the PERFECT set of guidelines/instructions to live by!!
That last line - "recessing before lifting up from the shadow" - left me gaping at the screen in awe... absolutely brilliant!!