Time for Poetics in the dVerse Pub ~ Lisa is hosting and requests we write poems using sculpture as inspiration! [ my fave Las Vegas place to sit and reflect ]
Marco
Cochrane’s “Bliss Dance” is a 40-foot stainless-steel,
mesh-skinned figure captured in a moment of uninhibited confidence, a
transplant from the Burning Man festival that made a brief stop at
the Great Lawn at San Francisco's Treasure Island before being
purchased by MGM Resorts International. An arm extends out to balance
a soft back kick, giving the nude form a full-bodied gesture of
elegance and empowerment!
Original poem, published in 2021, in Red.
Hear Me Roar
lecherous looks from men
on sidewalks / in classrooms / airports
i turn my head / tune them out
i don't need catcalls / low-pitched moans
under-the-breath whistles / vulgar gestures
i sing the music / in my mind
celebrate / at the very edge of my soul
stride / with unwavering grace
too big to ignore
hey guys / i've heard it all before
beyond the noise / beneath the skin
ancient blood hums / with untamed song
i am iron / wrapped in velvet skin
soft as petals / sharp as thorns
not just a voice / but an anthem
a thunder stitched / from silence and scars
my worth not measured / by your gaze
my power not granted / by your praise
reborn / untamed / unbowed
a force of nature / wild and wise
I love what you did with this, Helen. You show the strength to rise above everything and just be one's self. A great message for all of us. Well done.
ReplyDeleteWonderful sculpture and wonderful poem Helen.
ReplyDeleteThis is food for thought!!
Thank you very much!!
Helen, you *are* this sculpture. I see you! I like the origin story of the sculpture. I say she is Burning Woman!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you took on the persona of the statue in this poem, Helen. She is so confident and defiant, an example for all women, especially in these anthemic lines:
ReplyDelete‘i sing the music / in my mind
celebrate / at the very edge of my soul
stride / with unwavering grace
too big to ignore’.
Beautifully written, Helen. Robbie
ReplyDeleteLove the voice, not one to be messed with with here iron core... don't judge her by her skin.
ReplyDeleteAwesome poem, Helen! I love her strength!
ReplyDeleteYvette M Calleiro :-)
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
There was so much in this--you brought the statue's personality alive in the best of ways, yes. That lecherous gaze...I know what you mean. I have crossed streets many times if walking alone on a quiet street with a woman in the opposite direction, or deliberately looked yonder towards fields if on a bike: I can feel a stiffening tension.."will he stare at me, bother me, or worse" in a woman walking my direction. It is something we cannot fathom, that disgust, fed-up feeling, fear that women get because of males. I have 3 daughters and if with any of them I certainly notice appalling staring at times, so much I put a stop to it. Great poetry but sombre thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHelen, to me your poem radiates strength and defiance, embodying a powerful, unapologetic voice. The imagery of “iron wrapped in velvet” and “a force of nature” is both striking and evocative, highlighting the complexity of resilience.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com
"i am iron / wrapped in velvet skin
ReplyDeletesoft as petals / sharp as thorns"
Strong, unwavering poem.
I have no doubt, you have always been a force of nature, Helen ~
ReplyDeleteI liked this
ReplyDelete