Inspired By
Art influences art. I am constantly inspired by nature, by color and pattern, and by other artists, writers, and creatives. Two of my favorites are featured in my new poetry book, Compelled But Chill: Poems for Rioting and Relaxation, my dear friend John McCabe, and my father Howard West.
John was a talented photographer, graphic designer, short film maker, and worked in marketing and design for several Hollywood studios. He was so creative, talented and funny. Several of his collage prints really spoke to me and I wanted to honor him with an homage to some of his work below. The first print is based on his photo of another artist's statue. Art influencing art, again.
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Howard was a salesman by trade, but after retiring took up several creative hobbies including woodcarving and painting. He was an original do-it-our-self-er, and constantly encouraged me to never be afraid to try something new. Some of his early paintings and the poems they inspired are also below.
John McCabe
Howard West
art by John McCabe
SERAPH STRETCH
You're finally grounded.
You made it.
Congratulations.
It's been a long fight to get here,
a battle of letting go and letting be.
But this place is not permanent.
You cannot stay on the ground.
It's time to stretch,
to reach again for the wonder,
to take your grounded self, and eagerly search for the light you had been missing.
This is not another war with the wounded knick-knacks of past lives that want to control your inner monologue.
There is no push and pull,
it's simply a release...
Set your intention,
and rise.
UMBRELLA MAN
He watched from a distance.
We thought he was right there,
next to us,
present behind the smiles,
engaged with the laughter.
And I guess he was,
sometimes,
but he was also somewhere
else...
watching
observing
wanting
We didn't see the umbrella -
a shield to catch the fallout of
the outer noise,
of messaging
and judging,
also a lid, to hold back the inner noise,
of messaging
and judging.
We could have held the umbrella for him,
we could have let him rest while we stood watch for him,
but we didn't know
how heavy the umbrella had become.
art by John McCabe
art by John McCabe
BLUE FISH
Why is my tank so small?
I have a spirit of adventure.
I long for open roads,
for deep oceans,
for endless skies.
Why do I find myself hitting the wall?
>Confined< ________
Trapped
^^^^^^
Maybe it's not the push I should practice.
Maybe the walls have thickened because I push.
What if I approach with confidence,
the kind gained only by humility?
The feeling of rightness,
because I can conceive my wrongness.
If I don't have to know everything,
I can trust that the path is clear.
I simply float to the edge,
close my eyes,
and swim through.
CROWDED
penned by invisible lines,
expectations, unwritten rules,
vicious best wishes, and controlling concern,
peopley people, pearl clutching fools,
can't turn or maneuver,
can't wiggle, can't dance,
the nosey Samaritans, with their plates full of cookies,
and self-righteous side-glance,
breathing impeded, no air left to breathe,
searching for life, in deep, empty holes,
rich thieves making victims,
of all who won't leave,
stuck in the tank, needing room to explore,
holding keys to the castle, and still needing more
wined, dined and confined,
dropping hope at the door.
art by John McCabe
If you or a loved one has mental health concerns, or needs help, call the suicide prevention hotline – 988
For additional services, especially for LGBTQ+ youth, contact the Trevor Project at www.thetrevorproject.org, or follow them on social media.
FLIGHT PATH
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To land or take off-
change pushes us to decide,
to commit to a path,
even when we’re not ready,
especially when we’re not ready.
We’re coasting a long,
hovering,
not unhappy, but not really content,
and then we’re cut off.
We try to keep flying,
straight into the headwind that wants to derail us.
It’s there for a reason.
Change your flight plan,
or land for a while.
You’ll still get where you want to go,
but maybe not through the route you were expecting.
In the meantime, the sky is wide open.
Explore,
Expand,
Enjoy!
art by Howard West
COURAGE TO CANVAS
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I see the brushstrokes and your dabble with color.
This was your experimentation phase,
when you shook off the messaging,
that you didn’t need to be like your brothers.
This was the time you said, I will try something new,
I will practice it,
I will become proficient,
because I am capable and talented
and driven when doing something I love.
This was the time you were the most you.
This was your sunrise!
art by Howard West
THE FIRST SNOW
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chilly,
grey skies,
a little spooky in a fun way,
catching flakes on your new mittens,
awestruck at their complexity,
engaged in the wonder of patterns,
and refueled in the possibilities of the season.
lose yourself in the silence of snow,
when the earth lays down to rest under a soft blanket
putting to bed the business of all manner of creatures
including mankind.
let go and slumber,
all will come in its time.
art by Howard West