Poetry Friday--Spark 39

The latest Spark challenge ended last Friday. Up until recently, I've participated as an "artist," but this time round, of the people signing up for the challenge, more were artists than writers, so, I agreed to partner as a writer.

My partner is artist, Mary Hill, and the piece she sent to me is mixed media. I received permission from Mary to post her pieces. Thank you, Mary!

Here is the inspiration piece, "Purple and Gold Landscape 2":

© Mary Hill, all rights reserved.

When I received the file by email, the fires in California were still blazing and in the news, so my mind went immediately to that. The National Climate Assessment was issued a day or two after I received my inspiration piece, and that, too, factored into my response:

Paradise, 2018: a pair of cherita

"It will take a while. But it will get better. It always does." Eyewitness to the Camp Fire, California, November 2018

if we squint we see

the flames of a wild
fire as an aura--

a god's adoring smile
a land and people blessed
a tempering of our souls

optical delusions

radiance mistaken for
divinity still blinds

with eyes nearly closed we
can only blame ourselves
for descending into darkness

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

I sent Mary a cherita from my files as an inspiration piece:

packing to go

no room in
the cardboard boxes

what remains to pack
needs only the space
between her ears

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Here's Mary's delightful response, "Done with moving: Relaxing":

© Mary Hill, all rights reserved.

Consider taking part in the next quarterly Spark round--I know many Poetry Friday peeps are writers or illustrators.

Elizabeth Steinglass is hosting today's Poetry Friday Round-Up. Be sure to stop by!