To be a poet one needs the six P’s – the pencil, the paper, the perception, the passion, the persistence and the unshakable persuasion that the poem is in fact possible and attainable. - Grace Perry

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Demokratizmi



The following poem, which was generously selected by the SCWC director as the July 2012 South Coast Writers Centre poem of the month, was written in response to Zwishenräume – spaces of convergence art exhibition. I wrote this poem in response to an artwork by Gela Samsonidse (the image on the right).

I have never previously written a poem in response to an artwork, which was an interesting, stimulating and exciting experience for me. I have also never written a piece that experiments with language the way I have here. I hope you enjoy it.

after an imprint by Gela Samsonidse
 

დემოკრატიზმი
(democracy) drums,
chanting from the people
mouths widen, marching
mi to the ballot box,
curving in a crescendo
climaxing in October 28, 1990
striking the floor, blood
(სის­ხლი) blood shed on canvas. 


2 comments:

  1. Congratulations Rhiannon! I'm so excited you're writing poems inspired from painting. One day soon I'll start painting from poetry again.

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  2. Greg Tome asked that I publish this comment on his behalf:

    Hello Rhiannon
    I think that you have achieved something rather remarkable. Firstly, the visual appearance of the poem is interesting, even before I start to read the poem. The manner in which you have made all the connections between the image, the words of the poem and the cultural and historic aspects of Georgia was an achievement you can be proud of. All very powerful and engrossing.


    Thank you Greg, I am glad you liked the shape of the poem and found it powerful! The shape and I hope the sound of the words in this poem were important to the image that I was trying to capture.

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