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This month, in our year of writing poetry together, my Poetry Sisters have called on me to supply the art for our ekphrasic poems. I've chosen to share my photos of the cloisters of Glencairn Museum, a place I love to visit. You can read about the cloister here. The mansion was built as a family home for Raymond Pitcairn and his family in the 1930s, and later turned into a museum for
10 Comments on Cloister Ekphrastic Free Verse, last added: 12/29/2016
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I cannot imagine the privilege of growing up with something SO beautiful and gracious. My favorite lines remain, <i>nothing is heavy that sings</i>, which leads me today right into the James Weldon Johnson poem "The Gift to Sing" (which Karen Edmisten posted this morning) --<br /><br />The Gift to Sing<br />James Weldon Johnson<br /><br />Sometimes the mist overhangs my path,<br />And
Oh, Andi. <br /><br /> Where cool breezes<br />find and lift<br />sweaty smocks,<br />limp locks,<br />sometimes torn knees<br />or slight limps.<br /><br />And <br /><br />"nothing is heavy that sings"<br /><br />What a glorious scene you've created. Love how your stone retreat has lightened my heart!
OH, Andi. I love this. You've made subtle changes to the version I read, and this radiates calm and peace and beauty. I wouldn't have imagined that eleven children could produce such a thing, haha! But you've put in the real world, too, the sweat and the skinned knees and the dad who must be away and the mother who must preserve her own thoughts as she mothers. Brava. So
" Above the shushing<br />fountain catching<br />peace as it rises<br />off the star lit <br />magnolias."<br />*sigh* So beautiful. =)
"nothing is heavy that sings"<br /><br />Thank you for the whole poem, but especially for this line.
Andi, I LOVE that you gave us a full narrative this time -- people we know now, hearts we understand. This is a lovely, lovely piece -- thank you for it -- and for all of the beautiful images, too...
I love the story you've told with this poem ... of the people in this place. I love that you call the children "the littles." I love the lines:<br />laughter rising<br />on the cool evening<br />air. Light soft, stone hard.<br /><br />And as others have pointed out, I adore the notion that "nothing is heavy that sings."<br /><br />Thank you for this vision of the family.
Wonderful.....the idea of a sleeping porch. The unadulterated luxury even now.
Beautiful poetry! And now I have to visit this museum & gardens when I go to Philly again! I didn't even know this place existed. Fascinating!
I love how you used photographs to spark poetic ruminations in this little project of yours. Lovely poem.