We dance, we sing, we rejoice when it rains in the Southwest. This letter, written in November of 2007, was about a day when it rained here, but I still had to water the plants with a hose. The text:
Sunkist, burnt to a crisp...It rained in the desert today.
The ground began to gather in small circles as droplets struck its roof.
The rain could not soak in very far, because the celebration was short.
As dirt met heat, the dance burned away water
as birds watched and
quail waited patiently in creosote ancestors.
It said, "I could be a rainmaker and this gave me joy! I waved my arms holding the water's source, drinking in the smells of earth and green.
Then, sky looked down and called clouds to gather like the pebbles on earth--coolness moved in to see what all the talk was about.....If there are snow flurries to the east, surely we can share our bounty here in the west. In the sharing, we free up space to be replenished.
O Earth. O Sky.
Let Go!
©2008 Melinda S Esparza
10 comments:
It's all true. Melinda has captured our Southwestern-oddity attitude toward rain, and how it hits us. We beg for it, and perform little ceremonies... and we dance when it comes.
And your artwork is just... cool.
Melinda these are amazing!
I love your arrows leading gently through.
Here in Montana, rain is also precious. We all rush outside to witness the sky and breathe!
Today it rained...ahhh!
Good Luck with your new blog! Its such a fun way to catapult your career and a way for college bound kids for check in and see what Moms up to.
Melinda - Your art is great and what a wonderful post. I love the smell of "hot wet dust".
Melinda,not only are you a very creative artist, but a writer ( dare I say poet?), too. This was very entertaining to read.
Deb,
You're so right! The rain, the clouds--everything about replenishing weather is great to experience.
The blogging community is so good for challenging and inspiring, but most of all, for getting us to keep working, yes?!
Thank you, and best wishes with your fabulous work and blog.
Cara,
Ah. We love dirt! And, the smell of creosote...yum.
Thank you for stopping by. You are a wonderful writer and I love your blogs and art.
Best wishes always.
Deborah,
You are very kind. Thank you. I wrote a not-very-good poem for class once:
I am not a poet.
I am merely me.
Merely Melinda Middle-aged,
aging like a hippie flower child
who sometimes forgets what time it is.
This surprises me....
When I look in the mirror....
Taking a poetry class is as scary as learning to paint. But, it's okay! We just need a little bravery to push through, right?
Wow, you even used the part where it tears away from the spiral as design. Is that bubble wrap in the center? You are so resourceful. You have no boundaries when it comes to art!
I just said to my husband last night, "I need some rain." Those people in Louisiana are getting pelted and we're parched.
Silvina,
Thank you. Yes, I do try to incorporate everything in the piece as well as whatever is at hand. Indeed, that is bubble wrap! I have to be careful not to collect too much stuff. I could turn into one of those junkyard scavengers that make sculptures from their adventures.
I agree with you. We see flooding in our yard from the monsoons and regret that we do not have more water harvesting in place. Just think, if we could collect the water that runs into the streets and through our yards, we could use that for watering through the dry seasons.
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