inside-out

(this poem is a response to a beautiful and thought provoking quote from Martha Graham that I just read on rblog )

it's true
there's a pain
that the artist
feels

sometimes
it's like the pain
of childbirth

or a kidney stone
or some other
creation inside
wanting
out

on easier days
it's like a splinter
in your finger
or a knot
in a favorite necklace
with which
you struggle

only struggling
is not actually
a requirement
of the job

True Peace
is God's Peace

it is real

it comes
from the inside-out

and it's available
to everyone

including artists

even during childbirth

so please
don't believe
that fear
hatred
pride
confusion
dissatisfaction
unrest
disbelief
illness
and struggle
are part of your calling

we don't need
any of those things
to create miracles
move mountians
change lives
with artwork
poems
paintings
songs
and such

we just need God.

Photo: An artist's impression of Supernova 1986. The newly discovered nebula around the black hole or neutron star in the center is shown in blue,and is in the center of the expanding, fragmented shell of material thrown off in the supernova explosion, which is shown in red. CREDIT: Norbert Bartel and Michael F. Bietenholz,York University; Artist: G. Arguner