By Sally Bliumis-Dunn
Was it the full-length mirror in the tacky-posh hotel
that held us naked in its flourished golden frame,
or maybe the slick white dresser and rococo headboard
lined with plush pillows, or the black and silver
wallpaper stripes that ran from floor to ceiling
like a cage lit by moon in a darkness held at bay
beyond this room where the loud chandelier
lit us as though on a stage where we act our rawest selves
in an unfamiliar room that begged us and begged us more
with its tasseled brassy breath?
Plume Poetry Journal, 2023
The Importance of Arts, Culture & The Creative Process
Writing poetry feels to me very much like prayer, that intent paying attention, what Frost calls "a temporary stay against confusion." Writing a poem often allows me to discover connections in the world, ideas and complexities that I don't believe I would have achieved in any other way.
More broadly, I think the arts afford an intimate path for learning about humanity--reading novels, going to museums, listening to music--- and that this knowledge creates deep empathy and understanding among people.
What was the inspiration for your creative work?
I wanted to write about sex as a creative process among the two lovers and the room, the interplay of environment with deep intimacy, how the environment becomes an alive erotic force, a seducer, conflates with the two hungry lovers.
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 don't wish to lose any aspect of the natural world. I have learned much about being human from observing and interacting with plants and animals.The natural world sends me into a state of awe that is deeply pleasurable, whether I am observing a hydrangea or the dipping of a hummingbird. It saddens me that we have not made enough effort to care for our flora and fauna, the quality of the air we breathe for generations to come.
