The most common blessing, a poem by Tani Arness

Albuquerque poet Tani Arness, who read at OFFCenter a few months back, sent us this excellent poem today:

The most common blessing

I.
The long-tailed birds are calling to me.
They are calling me into the coppery
brambles of winter. They keep promising
a pretty treat, a shree, a pretty treat, a feat. . .

II.
I have wrapped the sun under one arm
and the moon under the other
and I am prepared to carry them
as far as necessary—

III.
Reflections of yesterday and tomorrow shadow
the smalls of my eyes—
photos of birds on a wire,
songbirds balancing ecosystems in their beaks.
Birds are the most common blessing—
we forget to etch with ink their eyes—deep black.
I want to find, in art, my healing. . .
the first etching—a bird on a pole,
the last etching—a war song of sparrows.
Each moment the crows call to each other.
Each moment we listen or we don’t listen.

IV.
The ripple, jagged with affection,
is not right or wrong,
it simply loves us.
Can you understand
such a thing?
The mountains surrender their form to horizon,
The wind whispers over flickering black stones.
When will we let the world love us?


V.
All our relations,
each crane, each goose,
restores
a piece of the living.
I Feel it in the hollow of my bones,
the blue dusk. . .
Nothing more is necessary.
The stars fold the sky
into my direction.

VI.
I race with black-tipped wings
and white face into the curve
of canyon. The sky a path of rivers—

Hunger, a poem by Sari Krosinsky

More poetry sent to us by one of the poets who read at last night's Art of Devotion opening:

HUNGER

I cook like my grandmother, whipping up a badass stew
from spare parts. Hers, variations on leached chicken
swimming in grease. Mine, resurrecting potatoes-on-the-edge
with a couple cans green chilé. I mince garlic as you read
to me, baritone against the percussion of popping oil.
Looking at you, I reach for the pot, char my finger.
I thrust my hand under the tap; you go on reading
as cold water seals the burn in a scar.

Like my grandmother, I cook to feed armies. She rallied
relatives, friends, strangers to divide the booty.
I have you. Like her, will I never learn
to cook for one? Or like Orpheus, would I follow you
to Hades and, failing, survive still? When you’re gone,
I’ll play your cd, seal my hunger in your voice.

--Sari Krosinsky

Poetry from the Art of Devotion Opening

An excellent roster of poets read to us on the theme of devotion. Here are a couple of "gifts" from Dale Harris and Bob Reeves.

THE POETS MARRY

This man came careless to my life,
not meaning to,
was bound for somewhere else
and lost his way but stayed.

This man came light, brought only a few mementos,
some photos of old loves.
He didn't need much room.

This man came strong into my life,
cutting through the lies I called love,
rolling away the stone
from my living, breathing tomb.

This man came brittle,
feared that he would break upon my secrets
but learned instead to bend.

This man came thirsty
for truths he thought I knew --
although I never said I did
he thought it anyway.

This man came late,
came when I was tired
and would need him most.

This man came quiet to my life
until a song sang us both --
it sings us still.

--Dale Harris, 2006
-------------------------------------------------

SEEING YOU

We breathe into the air in front of our heads
facing the same way, two ends of a table,
a trace awkward, a trace killed by anything.
How did we stack up these unreachable lives
of changing adult dispers? singing in subways?
work, play, grief, our double names
hardly ever present? How can it feel like
my gaze is so heavy I have to lift it with both hands
to turn it on you? Can love really include
this much distance and waste? Of course, but
I'm sorry it does. I'm sorry. I'm in need.
Something in you finds me, a straight dart
through my dark mist, always. Something
in me wants to find you just as surely.
But I'm the older one. The sides of my paths are higher.
Show me how. Come, let's do this again.

--Bob Reeves

(printed with permissio of the authors, copyright remains with them)

Recognition of OFFCenter Artists

Sharie's Studio Journal

Hats off to the New Mexico Magazine for having the ability to recognize talent and let others know of the accomplishments of OFFCenter artists and supporters. The June issue in their BOOK BRIEFS section they have spot lighted the 2009 ALBUQUERQUE ALMANAC edited by Amanda Gardner journalist, writer,artist and supporter of OFFCenter Community Art Project. This publication is available at OFFCenter and "Mandy" (as we know her) is in the process of gathering stories and other appropriate informational submissions for the upcoming 2010 ALBUQUERQUE ALMANAC. CONGRATULATIONS--- Mandy. By the by for those of you interested in trying your creative writing skills Mandy is in the studio on Thursdays at 3 P.M. for a writers class. Come join the fun and learning is great and its free. Of course donations are always accepted.

Micaela Seidel hosts Poetry Performance

Gallery opening – “Exquisite Corpse” - a collective collage of images and words

This Friday Night, March 20, 2009, 5-8pm.

Poetry Performance & Wordplay @6:30 pm, hosted by Micaela Seidel.

A surrealist game exploring the mystique of accident.

(Great food too. The gift shop will be open. Meet New Friends!)

Downtown Artscrawl Exquisite Corpse Opening

Friday, March 20, 2009, 5-8 p.m.

EXQUISITE CORPSE

A Surrealist Game

exploring the mystique of accident, a collective collage of images & words.

Poetry Performance & Wordplay with some of our amazing local poets, hosted by Micaela Seidel @6:30 p.m.

Join the fun!

<--artwork by Jude Pacheco. See more by OFFCenter Emerging Artists.

Off Center Reaches Out - And In

When I heard that Off Center was planning an exhibit entitled "Trust the Hand That Makes It Round," I decided to use the concept as a prompt at a creative writing workshop I lead at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center way on Albuquerque's West Side. What's round at the jail could be round anywhere:

Round face, round table, round circle, round thoughts, round the bed, roundabout, round the block, round and round, anything that's round. If you were to pick one thing round, what would you be? As for me, I think I would be a round circle, perfect, flawless, never-ending but yet never beginning. One continuous flowing creation formed in natural surroundings. Because all things formed in nature are perfect to a certain degree. To be a natural perfect circle, that's for me. – Kimberly M.

My butt is round, nice and round. It sticks out. It makes all the men shout. How round it is and big too. it's nice to have. If you work out, maybe you can have one too. – Catrina D.

Meat we eat
It's on our lunch tray
We have it every day
Yes! Bologna –- Catrina D.

Round and round we go
We stop in jail and most
Go round and round
Again . . . . -- Catrina D.

Everything round is the path I seem to be taking and endless circle back to the same old sad senseless situation. The drugs, depression, desolation. As I look to the sky and see the roundness of the sun rise I realize how nice it would be to see it and be free from within these walls. As I lay on my bunk with these walls I catch a glimmer of the roundness of a full moon. "A falling star," "I make a wish." Let the same old circle come to an end so I can walk a straight line. – Lisa Y.

Everything round is like time on a clock
Everything round is like my world is handing upside down
Everything round are smiles turned into frowns
I sure wish my world was the same as a child playing round and round
But now as I've grown I see the heavens and clouds moving to infinite domains as we all go in circles round and round. -- Cheri B.

Upcoming December 2008 OFFCenter Arts Events

Opening of “OFF & ONyx – an INTROSPECTIVE” Friday Night, December 5^th, 5-10pm OffCenter fundraiser and birthday celebration $5 donation requested

OFFCenter Community Arts announces our 7^th anniversary celebration, showing new work by over 40 of OFFCenter’s participating artists. The Dec. 5 opening will feature music by Bonnie Bluhm, who will host her annual Birthday Bash with the band Jasper at OFFCenter tonight for the benefit. After 6pm a $5 donation per person is requested. This donation includes a ticket for the raffle of art prizes throughout the night! The show runs through January 9^th.

Poetry and Shrine Making, Saturday, December 6^th, 1-4pm cost: $35 with scholarships available - please call for details

Instructor Karin Bradberry is an award-winning poet and teacher of English, Creative Writing, and Spanish whose passion is creating art that incorporates her poetry. Learn how to give embodiment to your favorite poem or other piece of writing in this workshop. Bringing a poem with you will make the process easier; if you don't, we will start you off with a writing exercise and then move on to the visual art. If you already have pictures that relate to your poem, bring these too! All other materials will be provided. Call to Register Now!

All events will be held at the OFFCenter studioTo register: call us at: 505-247-1172 or email info@offcenterarts.org