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Monthly Archives: December 2022

New Year’s Eve in Sonnet Form

December 31, 2022
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The 30th became the 31st
And pushed off midnight: baby New Year’s Eve,
The last day of a year some thought accurst,
But some saw Justice and were unaggrieved.

A Pope died unrepentant of his sins.
A naked Emperor let fly his spew
And hawked his trading cards in virtual bins
A parasite contemptuous of his crew.

A tough broad sailed away at ninety-three.
A House Select Committee filed its claims.
The Twitter-chaos tweeted far and wee;
So many are addicted to such games.

Tonight, a lovely evening with champagne
And fireworks . . . and many prayers for rain.

Work and Feet

December 31, 2022
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Yesterday I went to Famous Footwear and bought this pair of slip-resistant, relaxed-fit shoes. They are the sort of shoes Food Service employees are required to wear. I have managed to squeak through 2022 without working a single day for anyone but myself. 2023 must and will be different. Since my most recent work experience was a Food Service Industry position, it will be easiest to find new employment there. But my feet enjoy slip-resistant shoes no matter what I’m doing, and it has been raining lately anyway.

Uninstalling Chaos

December 30, 2022
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My artwork-making space has become less and less suited to its purpose thanks to my lack of organizational sense. I give myself till a minute till midnight New Year’s Eve to make this space comfortably operational. My strategy will be to do an equivalent of an App Uninstall: get everything off this work surface, then judiciously place a minimum of necessary things on it, avoiding the chaos of Clutter. There’s a lovely word for the reversal of Entropy, which is a lovely word for Chaos: Enthalpy. Friends, here’s wishing you a grand and enthalpic New Year.

knockoff

December 29, 2022
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knockoff

reaching down for my nightstand sockdrawer i clumsily elbowed a small vessel I’d made years ago over the edge of the nightstand

and it fell and being brittle shattered

but though it will no longer serve to hold keys or coins I as a potter am oddly grateful to get a look at the shattered vessel wall and note with satisfaction if not smugness that the vessel’s wall is both thin and even

and i have many vessels and the ability to make more and so the loss is minimal and perhaps not even a loss but an opportunity to pair this brokenness with an undamaged comrade so that they represent two states of being

I’ve placed them on a sheet from a black-paper sketchpad that with its series of rectangular holes resembling film sprockets symbolizes how cinematic the conversion of a vessel from whole to shards may be

and the title is that fine French phrase “c’est la vie” which translates to “this is life”

Beth, by way of Todd

December 28, 2022
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I received a real keeper of a holiday card today, which features this artwork from my dear deceased friend Beth Lindberg. It was sent by Beth’s widower Todd. Inside is a message of hope, cheer and remembrance, and includes the fun fact that Todd checks in with me from time to time via my blog, which is this thing you are visiting right this second. There have been tough losses nowadays. What sees us through is the loving, persistent spirit that we share with each other. Todd, my friend, thank you for the love you have for Beth and which you dispense to your friends. I’m honored to be among them.

Ballpoint Taken

December 18, 2022
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Here’s a nice ballpoint pen that says ARIZONA STATE POETRY SOCIETY and AZPOETRY.NET which is the Society’s official website. On Saturday the Society had a booth at the Mesa Book Festival and was giving away these pens along with bookmarks, conference information, Society signups sheets, and the like. I helped out a little, getting passersby and reciting poetry, some from memory. Christy White, who has been President and Treasurer of the Society at various times, offered me a pen and I was glad to take it. Today I used it to do a drawing exercise, no great shakes as a work of art but another baby step in my proficiency as a ballpoint pen artist. (Ballpoint is somewhat unforgiving, as media go. No erasing and occasional dry out.) So here’s a souvenir of a nice Festival.

“Ballpoint Logarithmic Study,” 3″x5″. Ink.

Splay’d Decade: 10th Anniversary Blog Post

December 2, 2022
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Exactly ten years ago today I launched “One with Clay, Image and Text,” the blog for which this is the latest entry. I had thought of doing a Greatest Hits Compilation but thought better of it and am going with Where Are They Now. I did a new double acrostic. one short on illustrative luster but long on reminiscence. I started in December of 2012 running, got knocked on my sit-upon in 2015, picked myself up, got knocked down big time in the Plague Year of 2020, picked myself up again, and now hope for another ten years of blog posts that will include the best things I’ve ever done. Hop-to-it springs eternal.

Splay’d Decade

So full of SELF thought word & screed
Perhaps a plague might intercede
Let’s watch Dame Dench on BBC
And crack that walnut split that pea
You’ve got a riff for every mood
‘D do you well to chill now dude

Whoever you are reading this–THANKS for being here. You have just read my mind, and now we have shared.