work on one poem (worshipping, presenting, offering, protecting, rejoicing, praising,mourning)

El Greco--"View of Toledo"


I've been working on the poem assignment from Aleta: she asked me to include "El Greco's icy blues, Egyptian profiles and repetitions, and a watercolor you sent me for my birthday"


Ilooked up Egyptian repetitions and I found the text that follows at this link: http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/publications/pdfs/egypt/egypt.pdf:
FORM IN EGYPTIAN ART
Clarity, Balance, and Stability

Egyptian artists developed ideal forms that became the standard, or conventional,
way of expressing desired meanings. The major figure of a composition,
for instance, was usually larger than the more subsidiary ones, and its poses(standing, walking, sitting, or kneeling) were the most stylized. Even for subsidiary
figures a limited number of arm and hand gestures were used to explain
what the figure was doing.

The following are commonly used poses and gestures:
worshipping: both arms extended forward with hands upraised

presenting: offering both arms extended forward with an object held in one or both palms ready to receive offerings seated with one or both arms resting on one's
lap, palms down

summoning: one arm extended forward with the palm open

protecting: both arms extended out to the sides with the palms facing forward

rejoicing: both arms extended out to the sides with palms turned away from the body

praising: crouched on one knee, one arm raised and the other held against the chest with clenched fist

mourning: arms raised with palms turned toward the face

Balanced forms and compositions, clear outlines, simplified shapes, and flat
areas of color were used to create order and clarity, and figures and scenes
were arranged in horizontal rows (called registers). Momentary, fleeting images
such as expressions of emotion or strenuous physical activity were not often
treated because they were transitory, not permanent features.


here is a small poem culled from all that! (i think i will make several poems from this assignment; i love the idea of putting poses ((like still dances))in poems.):::::


Poem (Emotions are not permanent)


Space and breath, the opening seeming to go on and on.
My root hangs down listening and is not yet emptiness.
It is intimate nutrition, the kind folded into the book of birth, the kind

One morning when I find myself in my body. There it is: the space
I’m not in, the low creating cry. Love birth emptiness.
The certain brown canoe making its way up a shallow muddy river.
Red oars. Up there is a town we love, with celebrations.

I stand, raise my arms up, and turn my palms toward my face.