Griffiths & Berlin – February 2024

J.A. Berlin and Anne Griffiths traded art and words. Anne shared this artwork, titled “Transience,” with J.A.:

In response, J.A. wrote this poem:

transmogrification: the golden birds

an ekphrastic poem inspired by Anne Griffiths’ Transience

we cracked and fell into the jagged shells
lacquer rebuilding around us

consumed by vapid lands and temporal seas
it took a century of layering to contain us

ancient paintings reminisced their paint
cracked and fractured while piecing together our shells

layering the lacquer applying the golden seams
we watched from within gold mend the azure

confuse carnelian for eggshell
isolate our worlds in golden webbed eggs

we were in the wake of time healing to distraction
mending our cracks we remade our lives

for the presence of wings we remade our spines
golden birds of every kind we stole the skies

* * * * *

J.A. shared this poem with Anne:

Rock striations bask
Striding stags among the trees
Blooms sleep under snow

Skeletons appear
Flighted wanderers return
Snow melts the earth green

Crocus greets the dew
Roots web together all trees
Sunrise sings birdsong

Caterpillars hatch
Linger lilacs sickly scents
Bleeding hearts grow vined

Vines grow many moons
Divine eyes of peacocks laze
Vultures tail heat waves

Daylight squanders time
Jack o’lanterns break the vine
Leaves bandy branches

Fallen tracery
Hear the falcon’s whistled screech
Pelts fuzz rabbit backs

Leaves dance away Fall
Find etchings on window panes
Snowflakes mimic leaves

In response, Anne made this piece, titled “Seasons in Paint” (click image to enlarge or click here to see the poem made by the titles of the paint samples):