Harrison & Ronan – Nov. 14

John Ronan and Juliannah Harrison traded art and words. Juliannah shared this drawing, “Horizon Joe,” with John:

In response, John wrote this poem:

The Watchman

The old man’s resigned and wise,
Patience shaping his distant gaze.
In a brave portrait, the horizon’s time.

In a hat and hair, cautious pride:
The field empty, the enemy at bay.
The old man’s resigned and wise.

Calm flint defines the eyes,
Wariness the price of great age.
In a brave portrait, the horizon’s time.

The alert watchman won’t be surprised
By unknown hour, by stalking day.
The old man’s resigned and wise.

As now is never, doubt survives.
He looks over your shoulder and he waits.
In a brave portrait, the horizon’s time.

Vision’s fixed, the challenge fate.
Readiness is all, soon or late.
The old man’s resigned and wise
In a brave portrait, the horizon’s time.

* * * * *

John shared this poem with Juliannah:

Death, A Definition

Looks like: the dry face of age.
Tastes and smells of camphor, bleach.
Feels like: fear, the incisive pain
Of tissue torn away at biopsy –

Parent or child, sibling, spouse,
Faith’s case for comfort and life
Struck dumb by the dissenting dust.
No syntax serves. Sounds like:

In response, Juliannah made this image, entitled “Motherhood (izanami-no-Mikato births kagu Tsuchi (causer of fire))”: