For Poets United: Mid-week Motif – Flood
http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/
Drowning in hate-filled rhetoric,
lies in words that no longer
hold any meaning,
shouted by faces
that have lost all likeness
to a compassionate humanity.
Turn away.
Dive into lines and color,
swimming through sea of images
I, alone, have created. Reds, blues,
golds, and greens saturate skin,
soak deep into muscles,
until I must rise again
to breathe deeply.
Tired, look around to find
nothing has changed, all remains
the same. Slowly close eyes
preferring to sink, once again,
beneath ink flowing
from my printer.
Elizabeth Crawford 8/16/2017
Notes: I was grateful when my sister said I could join her, and a friend, in taking part in an Art Fair. I wanted desperately to remove myself from all the division and word slinging going on around me. So I have been busily creating photo prints to sell at the Fair. Until this morning, when I found the Mid-Week Motif prompt and my mind was flooded by words and even more color. The image is a digital painting to which I added the flood effect. A song also came to mind…
Soul's Music 
Wow! We are lucky to have this place of refuge that might still have an effect on the dehumanized masses. This poem for example, is a sanctuary swirling with “Reds, blues,
golds, and greens ” even if we have to come up for air. Thank you.
That song is amazing.
(This is indeed at the scale of deluge, one step before war.)
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Where, oh where, is that compassionate humanity. That hate-filled rhetoric is drowning us all!
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I so relate to the faces devoid of humanity. Right on. Escaping into art and colour sounds perfect.
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Escaping into beauty you create is amazing. Love this photo, Elizabeth!
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We have that urge to turn away but shouldn’t. Instead we should stand up tall and shout out “No! this is not the way it should be”. However a short break is permissable Elizabeth. Loved the song.
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You’re right ..even words are just a temporary refuge.. the world remains an ugly place when we reopen our eyes.
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I can picture you creating colours and spirals.. how magical colour and shapes can be
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Sometimes we need this positive turning away. A much needed diversion. Love your art work as well as the beautiful song.
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Love how you dive in lines and colour and sad that nothing has changed and you choose “to sink beneath ink. Beautifully written. love it
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‘Turn away. Dive into lines and color, swimming through sea of images I, alone, have created. Reds, blues, golds, and greens saturate skin, soak deep into muscles, until I must rise again to breathe deeply’ .. I agree, sometimes it’s best to divert our mind and let positivity in. Beautifully penned.
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Diversion always works best, be it calming our soul or a situation. Lovely poetry 🙂
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A powerful and beautiful write Elizabeth! That first stanza really packs a punch, and I know we can all relate. The song is a perfect addition. Thank you for sharing this today.
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Escaping the flood by submerging in it or another. At least that is what I took from your poem. Thanks for sharing.
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Good luck at the art fair! Sounds like fun I enjoy creating. Maybe next time you break the surface things will be better.
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It is absolutely necessary to step back from the mayhem to recharge our batteries (and our faith). Art, as poetry, has a great palliative effect.
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Art as well as poetry has a rejuvenating affect. In spit of the ugliness and hate, the world is still a beautiful place filled with good people. I like submerging into the river to recharge, sort of like a baptism.
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I hope you found the refuge you were seeking!!!
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