I remember discovering Arthur Rimbaud’s Illuminations around 1994 or so and thinking that those poems were the pinnacle of his artistic expression and perhaps poetry itself in terms of subject matter and beauty. I soon set out to write The River of Swans, Advent (Omega) and much later Vandalia (the continuation of the River of Swans) , which all utilized the (open and suggestive) prose poem form that Rimbaud employs so well throughout Illuminations.
9/19/2024
Early on @ Virginia Tech I discovered William Blake and his remarkable relief etchings (a method taught to him by the ghost of his own Brother) and his combining poetry and art changed the way I approached my own work forever. @ https://www.blakearchive.org/
My poetry, music and art have always been a place for me of supernatural communion between the divine and earthly realms.The liberation of the ordinary is finding the eternal in the moment now-there is a sacred space of connection which transcends time itself and is born through spontaneity and my work has been to attempt to bring forth this language of light.
Thank you for sharing my "Heartsongs”.
This is my Father’s favorite poem, and he read it out loud to my Sister and I many times on cold Virginia Winter nights. It is a visionary and beautiful work, full of transcendental images and mystery that Frost’s conveys quite beautifully and simply. This poem and the wonderful illustrations of this book (along with "The Pasture” by Frost) were the first multimedia experiences I had with poetry as well (long before William Blake and Jim Morrison in College). The artwork is an amazing compliment to the poetry and makes story time a joy. Frost’s "The Pasture” was also a poem performed by Cadets in the Virginia Tech Glee club that I discovered in my Father’s old record collection with him singing on it and these works opened the door of possibility for me in terms of what poetry could be. When I found this book again I sent it to my Dad, it was a gift he gave me and my Sister long ago that changed my life forever.
I recall finding a book about the history of Washington DC (where I was born) in the library of a College that I was teaching in the Summer of 1995. The Potomac River was once called The River of Swans by the Nacotchtank people, I had a vision of the Swans and drew them right away as a sketch. Monet’s painting was a great inspiration for the art that would soon be as well, a print of his Water Lillies hung in our Teachers shared office.
Later I would write a continuation of the River of Swans poetry titled Vandalia, a book of memories. The River of Swans (the Potomac) would flow out of Vandalia, an early name chosen for West Virginia.
8/23/2023
The River of Swans and Vandalia are linked together in the same way that Advent (Alpha) is with Advent (Omega), yet these two collections of poems were not written in direct succession, but 18 years apart.
11/23/2023
https://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?id=100088
https://www.artwanted.com/imageview.cfm?id=1710139
