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© Karin Pitman  

 

Formed By It

as if canyons
before air, water around us
pulsing to a heartbeat
shaping us, sculpting, weaving life

living water, protecting, nourishing
now cleansing, cleaning, baptizing
washing, refreshing, drawing us,
calling, always near

play with it, in it, on it, around it
oblivious to meaning, amused
entertained, it fills us, scares us
teaches us, eludes us

watching, pondering, cycles repeat
draws us, puzzles us, races by
crashes noise, change constant
forcing its way, carving out

leaving beauty, particles tiny
one by one, progress unseen
moment to moment, come, go
flooding, drying, ebb, flow

slowing, stagnant, winding by
scarce trickle, rushes through
repeating rhythm, precious drop
erasing before, but reminding

06 April 2000


It’s no surprise that Karin Pitman, AIA, would spend some of her spare time painting. She was, after all, trained as an architect. The bigger surprise is that this planner and landscape architect from Albuquerque, N.M., should find release in poetry. “I don’t write them too often,” she says, “and mostly they are a way for me to get some of my emotions out when I’m not quite sure what’s going on internally”

The poem (far right) was submitted to an art show as an explanation for the painting below. The requirements for submission said, according to Pitman, “‘artists are encouraged to be creative in their responses’—as if artists wouldn't be creative. So I made my submission in more of a poetry form than in prose.”

by Kevin Lerner

 

 


For information on how to submit your own work for inclusion in On the Side, contact Kevin Lerner.


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