That Inner Glow: 2014 Poetry Project

Writerly Friends, the amber glow of sunset is nearly upon us in central Maryland. Let’s gather, on this wintry night, by the golden glow of the fire and share some poetry.

If you’re new to the Pantone ® Poetry Project, welcome! Read my introductory post here.

In color news, my friend Jen Mallo informed me that the wireless phone company T-Mobile ® just won a lawsuit over its exclusive right to magenta.

So we will not be writing in response to this color:

Magenta -- Property of T-Mobile ®.

... because that would be a trademark infringement. Read an article about the landmark color case here.

Those of you who have been following along know that I am a day behind (again!) I was lulled by the warmth of our Day 10 colors:

Day 10: Amberglow
Pantone ®  16-1350

Day 10 Golden Glow
Pantone ®  15-1050

Even though it is Tuesday, Diane Mayr (Random Noodling) is ready for the end of the work week.

Thursday's Golden Glow
by Diane Mayr

Running a finger
down the condensation
on my pint of draft
I know there's only
one day left in this
hell-of-a-work-week
and I. Will. Survive.

With major snow predicted (again) for Wednesday evening and Thursday, I think many of us will be joining Diane’s virtual happy hour.

The title of Linda Baie’s poem (Teacher Dance) immediately brought to mind this Van Gogh painting, with its glowing lights.

Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night
by Vincent Van Gogh

From The Café Window

I saw her pass, near enough

that I could say she noticed

the attention,

the way heads turned,

the way eyes blinked.

How could she think

we wouldn’t gawk, and talk

about her hair, her eyes, the look?

She neared the corner,

pushed hard at the wheel

too near the curb, but then

turned and waited for the kids

to catch up. Their mother,

in a wheelchair, trying

her best to race and win.

I could see her grin.

Yet,

it was clear they only wanted

to stay near,

in her amberglow.

Linda Baie ©All Rights Reserved

I had to think about these colors for a couple of days before I settled on a subject. My notes say:

sunrise

oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clements

goldfish

golden glow – I want the walls

WCW’s #5 with Bill Jones’ painting

Klimt’s Kiss

Amberglow is a cara cara orange

Tiger lily

Tarot image?

Before I started to write, I decided to look at some Gustav Klimt paintings. I was taken with this image of the goddess Hygeia, a detail from his larger painting Medicine, because her dress embodies today’s colors. Unfamiliar with this goddess? Read more.

Hygeia, Detail from Medicine (1900)
by Gustav Klimt

Fans of the new movie The Monuments Men will find this fact sad and interesting: this and two other large Klimt paintings were destroyed by Nazis at the end of World War II. (Read about the painting's history here.)

Hygeia Destroyed by Retreating S. S. Forces

After Gustav Klimt, Detail from Medicine

Her robes are shreds of Amberglow.

Threaded beads and disks fall down

her form.  The golden glow of an asp

curls against her arm. She was

daughter of a god, Athena Hygeia.

The bodies of the sick approach,

their faces quiet at her shoulders.

The artist has us kneel, so we might

see the glow of gold thrown up

against her haughty chin.

She gazes down upon us, medicine

in a bowl cupped in her palm.

A firelight without source

glows  on the skin of her raised arms.

From where we kneel, we cannot see—

her bowl is empty.

by Laura Shovan

Patricia VanAmburg was also thinking about the destructive power of that glow today.

Scorched
by Patricia VanAmburg

Glowing embers amber gold
Colors we can never hold
In the hollows of our hands
Or the burnt and barren lands.

Heidi (My Juicy Little Universe) Mordhorst’s poem – like Linda’s and mine – evokes the mystical feminine of these golden, fiery tones. I love how Heidi uses dialect to add some humor to her dialogue.

Heidi Mordhorst

Amber says to Golden,
"I think your eyeliner is a little thick."

Golden says to Amber,
"Better too thick than none, sister."

Amber says to Golden,
"Where should we glow tonight?"

Golden says to Amber,
"Let's glow to Club Cauldron.
It's always hot there."

Gold eyeliner from Chic Trends.

Get your landing gear ready. We’re going to be a little more grounded tomorrow with Day 11's color: Tarmac.

Day 11 Tarmac
Pantone ®  19-0822