By Richard J. Krawiec
There are times you are authentically
the person you slid into being,
one who, for example, rips a corner
raggedly off a bag of bird seed and tries
to shake it evenly across the porch,
although you never quite get it right.
It empties in spurts, forms small mounds
and curves, an explosion of mess
you feel no need to smooth until
the lover who you croon to
every night in operatic arias
they never fail to mention
are out of tune, shows you how
to use scissors for a neat cut on the bag,
a quarter cup measure
to scatter a scoop evenly,
the whisk broom to spread clumps
to a single layer.
You follow those steps
and the birds still feint and squabble.
They don’t seem happier. And you?
In the secret grotto of your pillow
late at night you pray again for
the wild moment when you thrust
the bag forward in the hope
seeds would flare out in a layered spread.
How thrilled you were when they didn’t,
so you could try again tomorrow.
The Importance of Arts, Culture & The Creative Process
In all times the arts in all their messiness offer creative choices against the forces of control. Whether it's a formal theatrical event, a busker on a subway, a child erupting into spontaneous dance the arts offer surprise and joy, which are strategies of resistance. Drumming a rhythm on pots, pans and glasses, rolling out sidewalk chalk on the road where you live, shaking birdseed like Pollack addressing a canvas - art, whether done in private or public, is about recognizing possibilities that didn't exist before.
What was the inspiration for your creative work?
In watching birds feed, I noticed they fought if the food was presented in controlled circumstances. So I tried something different and realized even if they didn't like it better, I did. I enjoyed the fun in attempting to see if something recognizable could be made from the simple chaos of wildly shaking seeds out of a bag.
Tell us something about the natural world that you love and don’t wish to lose. What are your thoughts on the kind of world we are leaving for the next generation?
I love the joyful unknown. The uncertainty of which flowers will bloom and when, what birds or deer will show up at the feeder. The fact that even as our housing developments and businesses become more uniform the natural world has its own improvisational character.
