Ingrained (click for text)
It started in the water
before the gods had names.
The sea, the sun,
the gnawing need to explain
in broken language,
the royalty in our veins.
As we crawl out from the ocean
stammering our claims,
our fingers stretch out
with eminent domain.
We grew up in the fates’ hands,
wood grained fingerprints
of their invisible plans
accelerating our accomplishments.
Training wheel tracks in the sand
to claim our inheritance.
Elevating our demands
of unquestioned dominance.
The world shrinks down
in shaky reverence.
But nothing stretches forever.
The trick of the infinite
is in a wrist flick instant
it spins back on itself.
The loop closes tight
just as our chest swells.
In the few moments to prepare
we swear allegiance to past selves.
It starts in the air
Our breath wrings out like muffled bells.
As it happens in our cities
we sit in lockdown.
Coyotes drinking coffee
while commuting downtown.
Dolphins laugh in our canals
while our office plants brown.
And the rent better float,
no paychecks coming around.
One more inch of debt
and we’re all gonna drown.
Smoke rolls in a fresh disguise,
An acrid thick partition of fire to baptize
this new world in old grievance,
and impossible compromise.
Half the world burns
and the other half denies.
Teeth bared, buried fear
no restrictions apply.
It hangs in the air,
as we strain to stay civilized.
Dragged up from the ocean,
reflected in our mess.
Can we address it ourselves?
Will fate wipe clean
our stains of progress?
Our murky future swirls
with unfinished business.
Grateful for chance reflections
in this paused apocalypse.
New life bobbing up, in the cold nothingness
From the collection Carry-out Carton Fortress
I wrote Ingrained as part of the “As it Happens” project. This collaborative art poetry project takes place from November 7th through December 27th, 2020, in the Woodstock Courthouse.
“As It Happens” features numerous local artists, who shared their work with poets during various stages of completion. The poets were tasked with both writing a poem inspired by the art in progress, and also in displaying their text as a work of art itself.
I was lucky enough to be paired with Jeffrey Sevener. I was given his work halfway through completion, and am looking forward to seeing how he finished it. It was an interesting challenge both from the perspective of writing based on a work in progress, and also in presenting the work visually. I am excited to see everyone’s work. There was so much opportunity for creativity in this project.
I am grateful to Atrocious Poets for organizing this collaboration. It started back in January before we all knew what plans 2020 had for us. There were originally more in-person interactive experiences planned, but there will be some virtual experiences as part of the opening. I will add links and information as they become public.
I am more used to thinking of poetry in terms of how it sounds, and I loved working toward something more visual. I still have that piece of me that is always thinking of a poem as something to be read out loud. I posted an audio reading of this poem for anyone interesting in hearing it. I hope it enhances the experience and I also hope you are able to check out all of the other artists, whether in person or virtually.
My visual piece is a print incorporating the poem, some original photography, and free use stock photography. While accreditation is not a requirement of any of the photographs I used, I feel it is important to recognize the photographers that helped me make this possible.
- Niki Jim took a beautiful picture of ocean spray that serves as a background in my piece.
- Magda Ehlers – for the photo of stained two by fours that I imprinted the title of my poem on.
- Alicja – who took some cool pictures of flames I used as an effect in my piece.
- BRRT – for the photo of driftwood that stanza VII sits on
Ingrained © 10/2020
Chernoff Writing.com 