art school teacher: on writing nonsense

as a way to discover rhythm in words

i suggest to the students: try writing nonsense

it's not as easy as you may think

writing whatever words rise to the surface

without having to make it make sense

i tell them i once made a habit of writing nonsense

months of months of nonsense

they stare at me

unimpressed

Art School Teacher: Comics Class

art by Renaissance High School students

photo comic by Chloe

We each scribbled on newsprint with a colored marker

until there emerged:

a face,

an object,

a figure,

a landscape.

We each arranged our four drawings

as a four panel comic,

adding details with a black marker.

About Rose's, I pondered all week:

The astonished cat,

The grounded stag,

A twisted shadow, surprised

The mountains echoing the birds' cry.

Then we added characters and voice bubbles.

And made new four panel comics

by photographing details.

the night i found a perfect poster for peter

no one showed

for the mindful artist class

which i didn't really mind

since there was a print making workshop

in the cool art space by the river!

by the time i walked there

the gallery was full of ladies 

in various stages of the printing process

and on the bar, next to a stack of cups

there were some open bottles of wine!

turns out the event wasn't open to the public

feeling too awkward to leave

i browsed through the rack of prints

and found this one for peter

Art School Teacher: six word stories assigned, rebellion staged

teacher assigns

students groan

teacher sighs

students know

the teacher

doesn't know

students demand

no restrictions!

teacher cries

teacher books

spring break

to Guadalajara

resignation letter

signed, sealed

never sent

teacher 

spends weekend

grading papers

again

poem for chakra ajna

one pointed focus

two petaled flower

violet third eye

cultivating wisdom

seeing clearly

non-duality

all opposites as one

awakening unity

between the eyebrows

sounding om

all seeing third eye

limitless Self

discerning clearly

limited personality

two petaled

violet flower

all beings unified

full of vibration

opening fully

one-pointed clarity

poem for chakra vishuddha

sky blue

sounding ham

sixteen petaled flower

throat blossom

listening inward

receiving guidance

thumbs touching

breath lifting

upward current

inner listening

attuned to subtle feeling

noticing sensation

collar bone, neck, throat, shoulders

aligning cervical spine

balancing metabolism

receiving messages

clear communication

inner being

deep listening

sky blue blossom

poem for chakra anahata

twelve petaled 

emerald flower

love and compassion

heart center

index fingers touching

softening and opening

harmonious

universal

love

sounding yam

emerald blossom

uplifting

self acceptance

all beings

compassion awakening

noticing emotions

allowing without clinging

twelve petals opening

heart center expanding

love

Western Versus Eastern Philosophy: Perception of the Center Body