It's a great poem for me, because it pulls together many aspects of my life - mothering - making art - honoring the life force in the world around us - feeling connected to that larger meaning as we go about our small daily tasks. I really love that all this, in the end, becomes the definition of art.
Especially when my kids were little and I'd feel like I was a bit lost in it all, having the poem posted on my fridge helped remind me of the blessings in all I was juggling in my life. It also tells me to respect the juggling abilities required of me, and reminds me why I've made these choices in my life.
The little quilt above is one I made ages ago called "Essence/Presence." It is 23" in diameter. It is made with layered strips of organza, a technique I used in several quilts in the 80s and 90s. The design inspiration was - and this is totally the truth - a piece of my curly hair that was stuck on the wall in the shower. I saw the protective, arching love of a mother holding an infant within the shape of the yin-yang design. As I look at it now, I wish I had given the mother shape a bit more lavender, making it more separate from the blues of the background.
I never realized how much this quilt echoes the philosophy in this poem until today, when I went looking for a quilt to illustrate this post. This has made me very happy!
"....when all the while,
as the Chippewa poem says, I am being carried
by great winds across the sky."
Thanks, Alison Luterman!
p.s. I would love to get more comments and discussion on my blog. Please write in with your responses to this poem, to life, to quilts, whatever!
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