DIALOG WITH A STONE
A stone may sit in my studio for years
before it tells me what’s curled inside
then it calls and I answer with joy
at first the stone and I, we are shy
we don’t know how this thing
will unfold, like new lovers we watch
each other closely, we speak softly
our dialog may be short
and sweet, or long and difficult
I start carving slowly
until my confidence grows
sometimes there is unexpected pain
a piece breaks off, new texture appears
impossible to plan or take credit for
the question becomes: fix it or leave it?
once underway, a new carving
is never far from my thoughts
at the end of the session
I sweep up slowly, a ritual
for easing intense absorption
but I keep glancing over at her
after the brutalities and heartbreaks
of our work together
are we still speaking?
new images appear in dreams
and silences
I look over my stones to see
where this creation may be hiding
hundreds of notebook sketches
haven’t yet found a stone
I suspect this life is going to be
too short
once underway
a carving seems so familiar
I think I have seen it before
when I queried a Nigerian shaman
about this, he laughed
Of course you know them -
they are all your previous lives!
This piece is called After Long Sleep