Lothrigel & Sheets – Nov. 15

Jay Sheets and Jennifer Lothrigel traded art and words. Jennifer shared this photograph, entitled “Individuation,” with Jay:

In response, Jay wrote this poem:

What Hands Wish To Be

Two hands, paused on blue cloth,
rest under finished light. Fingers,
which once held the darkening flower
of when, now wed in nude time—
share skin with watery dream
& hold close the breath
of a godnourished forever.
A honeyed embrace on the breast
of once & what’s to come
& once, there were children here.
Once, there was moon & we chose
our fruit & wings are what hands
wish to be. Once, there was beauty—
pure yellow hearts & ours—
locked slowly in clean-curtained rooms.
Once, we were held in two hands.

* * * * *

Jay shared this poem with Jennifer:

The Great World

Born from the garden grown of gold in a black robe,
he walks—into a world possessed by new light
unlocked. He breathes upon his lips a suprahuman
slake for cold, pink-petaled water, rosewater—
to drink the gods down, to evaporate
into plumed pareidolia a milk-feathered thirst.
Sunflowers bend & drop seeds, salt time
with purpose while fragrant sins forgive
the moon as the sun paints white on the bone.
A tiny rib cage spun with webs clings to the belly
of an egg on a bridge over royal water—
an emblem of holy power—a hierophany
from the Huntsman’s thread. Five moths—
powdery touchstones—crown a rusted spike
with an eye chalked blue on the head. He
arrives at a burnt iron door where a child
holds a yellow umbrella, scries the word “pearl”
in white breath on red stones, & the great world folds.

In response, Jennifer made this photo, titled “Creation Story”: