Pierleoni & Weiss – November 2016
A. Garnett Weiss and Gina Pierleoni traded art and words. Gina shared this image, entitled “The Deepest Sleep,” with Garnett:
In response, Garnett wrote this poem:
Surrender
He’s sleeping
(Even a good witch lies to her grandson
No use upsetting the boy after he seeded sunflowers
in careful rows for the kingdom ruled by my man of cloth
whose gentle hands waved I love you to crows, to geese
as he bid them fly to another field, another county
Only a few ever resisted his heart on his sleeve
when he knelt on those handsome patches I sewed
to ease his pose, while he checked for mice, for rats
He’d shoo them away. Would never hurt a fly, that man o’mine
And how he loved his wildflowers along the lane
Mauve, spring lupins and mid-summer daisies
He’d pin a few like medals on his shirt, his vest, his dungarees
Then sacrifice one to sing ‘she loves me, loves me not…’
Just look at that face. He knew my truth)
Y’see he worked those fields hard, boy
Faced down winds, survived the hail, the burning sun
Now he’s tired, too tired to stay at his post
He’s earned his rest
Let’s watch over him a while, then we’ll go
He’ll be alright on the warm earth
Yes, boy, we’ll leave him where he wants to lie
* * * * *
Garnett shared this poem with Gina:
For Nathan Cirillo, soldier
I’m glad my mother died. Six years ago,
never thought I’d ever think something like that.
This way, I don’t have to tell her what happened .
In our country. In her city. 25 minutes from her place. Today.
I know what that would have been like, the telling.
Me to her, then her to me.
Stooped to an angle of 45 degrees, barely able to walk
let alone stand, she would have straightened herself
as best she could, held onto the tallboy dresser,
and screamed obscenities.
(October 22, 2014, sentry murdered guarding the tomb of
the unknown soldier in Canada’s capital, Ottawa)
In response, Gina made this image, entitled “Lamentation”:
