By Jeanette Marie Clough
I remember how sunny the day was — driving home,
me in the back seat wearing a favorite floral dress.
A special occasion — stopping at the artesian spring
to fill big glass jugs with water flowing directly
from its source. A treat, better than the Jersey tap.
Under my feet, an empty jug. I look down and notice
a ribbon of smoke winding upward and say, Daddy,
something is burning. Kindled by the sun’s heat
focused to a fine point through the glass, no flame yet,
just a black oval smoldering on the carpet.
We pull over and skid to a stop. My father yanks me out
then the jug, tosses dirt on the floor and joins us, two girls
and a mother, well back and to the side. The parents
are rattled. We wait. Nothing happens. He approaches
the car cautiously, and slides under the back fender.
Everything looks OK. He gets into the driver’s seat.
A long pause. He turns the ignition key. No ball
of exploding fire, just a car engine starting up.
Jars are relocated to the back of the station wagon and
covered with blankets to protect them from the solar rays.
My father says, unexpectedly, Thank you, for speaking up.
We continue to the spring where he takes my picture
in the breeze, dress streaming.
The Importance of Arts, Culture, The Creative Process, and how this project resonates with you.: The arts are an intertwined ecosystem of creativity. If the arts diminish, our collective lives will diminish. It doesn't matter what your art is. It can be anything from gardening to opera. This project robustly invites many people to share their creative activity, thus strengthening the web.
What was the inspiration for your creative work?
The poem was inspired by good memories my father had of a summer vacation, and learning that the name of a diner owner was the origin of mine. The poem goes on to describe how a person's notion of themself expand over time as they create their own self.
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 them all. We are leaving an increasingly fragile ecosystem to the next generation with unknown consequences.
