What shows
how little
we know?
What can be is
oft far less than
what we expect.
What is now
has never been
what it was.
07/25/2024 j.g.l.
value beyond
Simplicity.
Is there emotion in austerity?
Humanity?
What do you see when attempting
to define your limited visibility?
Minimalism, abstract impressionism
or incorporeal thought.
Less is more, but is it enough?
Texture, tone, and value beyond
your current scene. If you take it to an
extreme, you will question
what it means.
What is really there?
What line do you cross?
Can simplicity be complicated, or
should it even be attempted?
07/23/2024 j.g.l.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Things will not go as planned. Intentions will be disrupted, even overlooked, in the aftermath of an unexpected reality.
Where you are headed will not be the place you end up, undoubtedly or undeniably. No matter how hard you attempt to make each gesture, brushstroke, promise, prayer, or pastime as perfect as you believe it can be, many times you will not arrive at a perceived destination. All too often your endeavors never hit the mark; at times your work may be better than expected (celebrate those moments), but everything (even your judgement) is subjective.
You are not limited to, or by, the colours in your paintbox or progression of your process.
Imagination is as limited or expansive as you want it to be. Give it time to blossom; in certain instances, you may even have to reel it in. This is all about possibilities, no matter which media, method, or style you are beholden to.
You owe your art (or life) nothing but your presence; the value comes from the practice, as rudimentary or spontaneous as it is or will become.
07/22/2024 j.g.l.
I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
April was Poetry Month
Posted on May 1, 2015 by j.g.lewis
Leave a comment
YOU do not write
POETRY
POETRY writes itself
You are there only to guide words
direct thoughts onto the page
YOU
are nothing more than a conduit
The words are the words
I’ve been trying
to write poetry
for years
now
a realization my fault
was in trying
Struggling with and strangling
what should have come out
Trying too hard
to change
what comes naturally
or to alter what is there
If you try too hard, with a poem,
or with poetry,
it loses immediacy
it lacks authenticity
Poetry must be effortless, and
that takes an effort. To let the words flow
you must allow space
on the page
in your life
for poetry
Of course, there are other things
we must concern ourselves with
racism and riots
and wars
a global economy
squeezing the shit
out of people unable
to defend themselves
against capitalism and crime;
greed;
politic(ian)s;
hypocrisy;
varied faces of evil
arriving daily on our doorstep
We must guard
against such trials
we must pay bills and
support those trying to support us
Might we be better able
to do so
with poetry
Maybe, just maybe, a few words
of beauty and significance
each day
would better prepare us for
battles we chose, or chose not
Poetry is an effective elixir
for all that ails
giving voice to our vulnerabilities, and fears
strength to our struggles and
ballast to our bliss.
It may provide a few moments in the day
where we can believe there is beauty
and hope and honesty
in the reality that tells us
it cannot exist
With poetry
it can
YOU do not write
POETRY
POETRY rights YOU
©2015 j.g. lewis
