Stephen & Karkar – November 2012
Carol Stephen and Dina Karkar exchanged words and art. Dina shared this painting, “Chaos,” with Carol:
In response, Carol wrote this poem:
Jammin’ on the 16
Fire foregrounds the hot yellow burn—
orange teases rouge, the blue rise
on red, these curves
letters shape, shift, notes lift—
a spider-weave ripple of sound riffles
ground-wave to octave
foreground to ground, form
re-form, each iteration:
music. the poem. the music.
Words stack, staccato: they wrap
rap, finger-snap, bebop, toe-tap tap tap
rebop, trombone, scatting a sax
A long hot lick—
the jazz. the jazz. fire-brick
crimson razzmatazz.
* * * *
Carol shared this poem with Dina:
Tickle at the Edge of Sound
Water tickles over river stones,
a green whisper at the edge of sound.
In the afterlife of rain, damp leaf-scent
freshens a tongue-tingle of air.
Nestlings beak back a wide-mouth catch of drops
as rain bleeds down every tree branch.
The sky tastes of pale orange cream
and pink raspberry sherbet,
the first sun all day
folds into the clouds to sleep.
In response, Dina made this painting, “Rain, Damp Leaf-Scent”:
Dina, love the painting! Just love it. Thanks for interpreting my poem so beautifully!
C
Thanks, Carol! I love the melodic energy in Jammin’ on the 16, It works wonderfully with the painting.
“Jammin’ on the 16” reads beautifully, Carol, and I really like how you write your way from observing the painting into the music. The paintings work so well with the words, both as inspiration and inspired. Love this collaboration!
What a great collaboration, you two! Dina, love the way your work both inspires and is inspired by. Carol, your word-play is wonderful. Particularly lines such as: “Words stack, staccato: the wrap” and the way you write yourself from observing Dina’s painting to appreciating jazz.
Thanks so much Linda! This was a fun collaboration~
Wow, what fun this must be for two talented artists!
Yes, it is a fun challenge. Thanks for visiting, Louise!
Carol; The poems are wonderful!!! Congratulations. Word and image work perfectly together!!!
Thank you so much. Glad you came to visit!
Speechless!
What fun!
Yes, it was fun. Drop by anytime! Glad you could make it.