Oz & Frida Kahlo's Ghost

*Poof*
I finish my manuscript then disappear from the blogworld for 3 days. One day was Christmas shopping, one day was submitting my manuscript, and one day is today. So, I'm back.

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Last night on the way to a poetry workshop, I was complaining to two of my good poet friends that I haven't been writing, but then I thought-- Wait, I've been writing. (I was bringing a new poem to our workshop!) And I've been revising (see above post, I just said I completed my mss). Not on a daily schedule or every day, but I've done a lot. I think because I haven't done it in a 9-5 way, it doesn't seem as if it happened. It's sort of as if my writing time has become Oz, a hazy place, but a place where I'm sure I've been. Now, just to get those ruby red slippers for proof.


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Warning: Dream post--

Speaking of Oz, I had this dream where the word came into play...

In the dream, I was staying at a residency for poets who wanted to write novels (Peter Pereira had just been there a week before me) and Ted Kooser was coming to my studio at night to see what I had written. When I explained, I wasn't able to write anything and that I had spent the day doing research, he called in a woman writer named Cici to talk with me.

When Cici arrived she was very distracted. When I asked her what was wrong, she said she was afraid of Frida Kahlo's ghost. She took off the Frida necklace she was wearing and put in around my neck. Frida is an inspiration to me and I was thrilled to have the necklace. When I turned it the pendant with Frida's photo on it, it was inscribed "Oz."



If I were to interpret this dream, I'd say that 1) it was created from my concern I've been wasting too much time lately (and the ex-Poet Laureaute is going to check up on me).
And 2) that there's nothing to be afraid of, our minds are Oz and they can be filled with flying monkeys, ruby slippers, or Frida Kahlo's ghost, it all depends on what we want to make of it.

It also tells me there's a few yellow brick roads I need to follow...

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On my walk this morning, I started thinking about a children's story I wrote, submitted twice, then sort of abandoned in my computer files. I'm reconnecting with it today. I think I'm reconnecting with a lot of things today. I hope you are too.

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By the way, if you need a writing prompt today, write a poem called "Frida Kahlo's ghost" or one that uses that image.

Weekly Poetry Exercise: Ekphrastic poetry

KAHLO, FRIDA. 1927 portrait de miguel N Lira

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Title: The Love Embrace Of The Universe, The Earth, Me, Diego And Mr Xolotl 1949


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Ekphrastic poetry: Poems that are based on another form of art, such as paintings, sculptures or musical compositions.

Look over these paintings by Frida Kahlo. Think about the colors and images, what emotions they bring out in you. What in these paintings (if anything) haunts you in your life? Do they make you remember a dream you've had? Fear? Love? Desire? Pain?

What image do you focus on first? What image did you not notice?


Once you've spent some time with the paintings--


First: Write as a person or object within the painting.
Second: Write as the painter.
Third: Write as you, the poet, perceiving the art.

Your poem can either be created from one of these sections or may combine all three.

Happy writing.

Fantastic Frida!

I spent the day at the Tacoma Art Museum at the "Frida Kahlo: Images of an Icon" exhibition.

The museum was filled with images not by Frida, but of Frida.

The incredible photo of Friday with roses in her hair in front of the green background was there and was probably my favorite. Though I loved the photos of her with her animals--Frida with goat, fawn, monkey, dog, doves...

On my desk lamp I have a magnet a friend gave me with an image of Friday that says "Passion" below it. What she does in her paintings, I want to do in my poetry.