"The Slope of Grace" by Cristina M. R. Norcross, 2016

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, 1907 by Pablo Picasso

(image credit: www.pablopicasso.org)

The Slope of Grace

I am not a size.

My body is not a number,

which I expand or shrink to.

I am the Beloved.

You are the Beloved.

Train your eye to see inside the shell.

Take a photograph of the Light

that never goes out.

You are a painting.

Beautiful curves that slope with grace,

magnificent lines of limbs –

a waterfall of cascading hair.

You are not broken, faded, or torn

from the smooth shine of youth.

You are true.

You are strong.

You are very, very real.

This is beauty –

wisdom, intuition, acceptance.

The self has no bounds.

Cristina M. R. Norcross, 2016

www.cristinanorcross.com

"Vintage" ~ Poem/Photo Collaboration by Cristina M. R. Norcross and Des Hanie

I had the great pleasure of coming across this intriguing photo by artist, Des Hanie, while posting on the ‪#‎BeOtherwise‬ thread of the Alphaeon Facebook page. We connected, when I reached out to say how much I would love to write a poem for her brilliant photo of this old, abandoned house in Virginia. I wrote the poem, "Vintage," to accompany her photo, and I will always be thankful for the stories this house whispered to me about age, strength, and beauty. Hope you enjoy this collaboration, too.

photo credit: Des Hanie

VINTAGE
(Inspired by the photography of Des Hanie)

One day we will all cave in.
Windows drawn –
rooftop bent –
foundation bow-legged.
Joints creaking
from the slightest howl of wind –
the structure still holds.
Our center core stands –
lungs filled to capacity –
chest emboldened
by a strength never known before.

There is song in our bones.
It is the length of our stance,
the broad sweeping lines of curves,
and proud jawline.
The eyes look out from weathered floorboards
and delicate hands.
Each vein speaks of the years
pulsating through our lives,
and we sit with the silence of now.
Remembering hymns –
remembering the body’s
movement in space –
knowing that time’s passage
is just our vintage gaining value –
our red velvet density
shifting in the light.

Poem by Cristina M. R. Norcross
Photo by Des Hanie
Copyright 2015

Happy National Poetry Month!

I will be joining a plentiful array of poets this month, in our quest to write a poem every day for April.  I will be fine tuning these poems to get them ready to submit, so I won't be sharing them on this blog (as I did last year), but my gift to readers this month is my new poetry/photography postcard, NEW CURRENTS.  Below is my latest design, which I created in honor of National Poetry Month 2015.  In total, I mailed off 80 copies of this card as gifts to friends, family, and fellow writers.  Hope you enjoy it as well.

New Currents

The air is charged –
a current surge of running horses
where sky connects to earth.
Flames reach for purpose.
A shedding of winter hibernation
reveals green leaf
and gold resolve.
We are electric.

Cristina M. R. Norcross

poem/photo Copyright 2015

(Photo taken at sunrise of Oconomowoc Lake, WI)

Happy writing to everyone who is taking the challenge to write a poem every day.  May there be many gems in your journals!



~Cristina

Join us for Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day on February 20, 2015!

Random Acts of Poetry & Art Day on February 20, 2015 is an international day of inspiration.  As an artistic pay-it-forward movement, our purpose is to spread the joy of the creative process.  Wherever you are on this day, please join us in sharing your poems and visual art for all to enjoy!

It’s up to you what you do!  A few examples: leave behind free poetry cards or quotes at coffee houses, cafés and libraries; give away mini works of art; donate art prints and poetry books to non-profit organizations or schools; or give away handmade scarves or jewelry.  Create, be inspired, and share photos of your Random Acts of Poetry & Art on our Facebook event page.  For more information and ideas, please visit the RAPA Facebook page.

Who knows?  You could change someone’s day in an instant of art and poetry!

~The RAPA Inspiration Crew

"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.  The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves." ~Amelia Earhart

Looking for ideas for a special gift tag for your art or poetry giveaway? We've got you covered! Here is a sample of what you could do. Sometimes people need to know that they have found FREE art and poetry! This is a png image which can be saved as a pdf for print out, or you can make your own. 

Here is an example of my FREE poetry/photography postcard for RAPA Day this year:

(front of card / "Myth of Lack" Copyright 2015, Cristina M. R. Norcross)

 

(back of card / www.firkinfiction.com)

This year's RAPA Day theme is: "Philosophy Legacy" - choose a key word or phrase that represents the wisdom you would like to pass on to the next generation of poets and artists! What kind of legacy would you like to leave behind, based on your art? Create something centered around your own words of wisdom.

Here is an example of a pair of my "word philosophy" earrings (Biku Beaded Designs), which I made to give away for RAPA Day.  I plan to leave these earrings as a gift at a local coffee house, where I know a lot of writers work. I want other poets/writers to remember to not only be artful in their own writing, but to inspire others to create as well.

Don't forget to share your Random Acts of Poetry and Art, by posting photos on our Facebook page! Thank you for joining the journey!