Kogan & Hauser – Baltimore Ekphrasis Project

Leonard Kogan and Tracy Hauser traded art and words. Leonard shared this painting, entitled “Parallels,” with Tracy:

In response, Tracy wrote this poem:

Cinder

the air is
blended, back and behind
puddled people built of plaid.
in me, a disc failed its
center and its sandy tracks
greyed from
history dirt.
i hear but they fool,
“be red and swim splashy.” in
pretend, you’re not a shoulder
if you’re an impulse.

* * * * *

Tracy shared this poem with Leonard:

after-night

this grave-
yard was a teen
-age heart.
it the form of one-
a girl, 13.
here, she filled her heart
holes made,
from the pet that
left,
gone up to the moons,
to wag shapes in the
the shadows, with
assistance from the
night clouds.

the cemetery
felt as 2nd period
art
did- a warm home where
leaves were
welcomed- they unpeeled
off the jackets theyíd
gripped
when the bullies,
the north winds
impelled them there.

13 walked
at night
to be back in the black
to take sweaters,
off. layers of which hid
her.

The grave-
yard was a veil,
comforting a sigh. A soft
hand on the back,
a lowered bridge
over a moat of high
school hunting.
it let words cross on
turpentine
protected from
the floating frey.
after, 13 could talk
from a mouth
which during the day,
hurt to; a mouth which was used to
being shut too much.

In response, Leonard made this painting, entitled “Endogenous Throb”: