A Poem and a Picture

Keep a poem in your pocket
and a picture in your head
and you’ll never feel lonely
at night when you’re in bed

Do you remember this poem from when you were a kid? I’ve never forgotten the first verse. The poem is by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers.

I did a search to check the wording and found a WP blog with some commentary on it, from which I quote:

“The words may appear simple, but they’re rich with meaning. They really speak to the value of what a poem can do for your soul: “you’ll never feel lonely.” That’s what words are to us. Words give meaning to life. Words comfort us. Words feed our souls. Words are our friends.” – from Keep a Poem in Your Pocket at sarahpark.com

Please relax, find your inner child, and enjoy the poem and picture I present. – Liz

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The Picture, by Jill Kuhn

To put you in the picture, Damien B. Donnelly (Paris) published a poem 09 Sept that I found as soon as I got up this morning, 10 Sept (NZ). When I reached the end, I found “For Liz”. I was so excited to find this poem is for me!!

And then on a whim I visited Jill Kuhn’s blog. I found a photo of this artwork of Jill’s and it practically screamed at me, “I’m your picture” 🙂

From:  A Hand-Made Paper Wreath

Blog:  Jill’s Art Journal: Creating Art With Joy

Jill used hand-painted papers for the circles. I LOVE the bright colours! And there were plenty of elements I related to Damien’s poem. The round shapes, the hands for throwing and catching, the stenciled flowers (that to me could pass for pretty snowflakes), the hearts adding a sense of relationship, and the feeling of joy and playfulness this piece imparts to me. Thanks Jill, this is SO beautiful!

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The Poem, by Damien B. Donnelly

Damien has a wonderful way with words, he’s opened up new worlds to me. Recently I asked him to have a go at writing a poem about north/south differences and this is his beautifully imagined response. The title references my attempt to do the same thing, previously published as  Time in Two Hemispheres

From:  Catch, in 2 Hemispheres

Blog:    Deuxiemepeau; Picturing Poetry by Damien B. Donnelly

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CATCH, IN 2 HEMISPHERES

I hold a balloon,

I watch it rise,

this sphere of air,

I hold this balloon

and then let it go,

watch it fly

up, into the air,

higher and higher,

up

into the sky

and you too,

in the south,

you hold a balloon,

you watch it rise,

this sphere of air within air,

you hold that balloon

and then let it go,

watch it fly

up (my down), into the air,

higher and higher,

up (my down)

into the sky

your sky,

your southern sky

now sleeping

below the line

of these northern lights,

two balloons

both rising,

one above

seeking shade,

one below

before the snow.

I hold the sun

in the north,

I hold the sun,

I throw it

up,

higher and higher,

up

and you catch it

below,

in the south,

I throw the sun

and you catch it

as the moon

but when we throw time

I am forever playing

catch-up.

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For Liz.

All words by Damien B. Donnelly

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Compiled and posted by Liz; Exploring Colour (2018)
THANK YOU to Damien B. Donnelly (poem) and Jill Kuhn (picture)