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Illustrated Thursday – Tree Tomato by Rick Zuzow

TreeTomato

It’s been far too long since I featured something from my friend, Mr. Rick Zuzow – his words and photograph were featured here once before. I drew this picture inspired by a photograph Rick took of a gorgeous bright red tree tomato (also known as a tamarillo), sliced in half on a simple white plate, accompanied by these words. To me, it was a zen still life and a found poem. Tree tomatoes are not well known in the U.S., but are eaten more commonly in South America (where the plant is thought to originate). My favorite random fact about them is that they were used as a culinary substitute for scarce tropical fruits during World War II in New Zealand. Drawing (ink on paper) and composition by me, words and original photograph by Rick Zuzow.

Excerpt Tuesday – Harlem – Langston Hughes

 

HarlemHughes

Today’s excerpt is from Langston Hughes’ eternal classic, “Harlem.” If you are like me, you *may* have mistakenly searched (more than once, I admit) for this poem under the title “Dream Deferred,” so iconic has the first line become in representing the civil rights movement and inequality. As recently as Aug 19th of this year, an editorialist in the New York Times used “Dream Deferred” in the title of his op-ed piece on the rioting in Ferguson, Mo. Read the whole poem here. Drawing (ink on paper) and composition by me.

Excerpt Tuesday – The World by Henry Vaughan

Theworld_pI

Today’s excerpt comes from Henry Vaughan’s beautiful poem “The World.” Read the whole poem here. A major Welsh poet whose popularity was revived in the last century – I learned of his poetry as a middle schooler because “The World” was featured in my favorite book at the time (and it is still one of my top 5) – A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L’Engle. Photograph by Ms. Dawn Wenrich – go check her photography out! Composition by me.  Enjoy!

Double Original Friday – A View from the City Bus, I

AviewfromthecitybusI

Happy Friday and 4th of July! Poem, “A View From the City Bus, I,” composition, and photographs by me. I am hoping to do a series of these – the poem is a true story – a lady was walking around the Old Burying Ground in Cambridge checking off something on a clipboard as she visited graves. I have no idea what she was doing! The photographs are from around the Boston University Bridge, the bottom photograph is of a memorial to the men and women of Cambridge who served during World War II. It sits in the center of a traffic circle with Memorial Drive passing overhead.

A Clerihew for Wednesday

ChristopherWrenClerihewThe clerihew is a short, four line (including title), poetic form invented by Mr. Edmund Clerihew Bentley to poke gentle fun at celebrities or famous historical figures. Unlike many forms, it is meant to be a bit awkward, anachronistic, and ideally, the rhyme is forced or also awkward.  A good poetry form for a Wednesday, I would say. Photograph and composition by me.