Prarthana Kalmath
Hear Poem Recitation by Author
A Short Introduction:
Bill Ferris' book, "The South in Color", exposes the public to many facets and themes of the South that are hidden in it's roots. The photograph I have chosen to analyze, "Pecolia Warner and her 'P' Quilt", similarly expresses a strong theme of community and the power within communal cultural activities such as quilt making. Choosing poetry as my medium to respond to this photograph, I have written a short poem in the style of contemporary African-American poets such as Afaa Michael Weaver in order to play on colors, sounds, words and images to create an retelling of the effect that quilt making has, not only on a community, but also on an individual.
Vibrancies
By: Prarthana Kalmath
The pieces that give us a name
They fit together
a mosaic of colors
vibrant threads intertwining on one plane
scarlet, cerulean blue, and sunshine yellow
rage, despair, and a happiness, a mellow
Thread of green woven between the others
A needle as sharp as our gazes
And as tiny as our fears
I hear the sounds of women
all with soft hands made rough from our collective work
Our collective art
Toiling day and night, for the promise of laughter and expression
we say routine is not the same,
we know that routine has meaning
we come together when the dawn of day begins and ending at the lighting of a lamp
to combat the black strands that weave in from above
mothers, sisters, daughters, all this doesn’t matter; we are the same
we are faceted and powerful
we hold the power to create
the power to encase our own spirits
within these threads of our quilt
Credits: Nina Simone "Wild is the Wind" Instrumental rendering
Bill Ferris' book, "The South in Color", exposes the public to many facets and themes of the South that are hidden in it's roots. The photograph I have chosen to analyze, "Pecolia Warner and her 'P' Quilt", similarly expresses a strong theme of community and the power within communal cultural activities such as quilt making. Choosing poetry as my medium to respond to this photograph, I have written a short poem in the style of contemporary African-American poets such as Afaa Michael Weaver in order to play on colors, sounds, words and images to create an retelling of the effect that quilt making has, not only on a community, but also on an individual.
Vibrancies
By: Prarthana Kalmath
The pieces that give us a name
They fit together
a mosaic of colors
vibrant threads intertwining on one plane
scarlet, cerulean blue, and sunshine yellow
rage, despair, and a happiness, a mellow
Thread of green woven between the others
A needle as sharp as our gazes
And as tiny as our fears
I hear the sounds of women
all with soft hands made rough from our collective work
Our collective art
Toiling day and night, for the promise of laughter and expression
we say routine is not the same,
we know that routine has meaning
we come together when the dawn of day begins and ending at the lighting of a lamp
to combat the black strands that weave in from above
mothers, sisters, daughters, all this doesn’t matter; we are the same
we are faceted and powerful
we hold the power to create
the power to encase our own spirits
within these threads of our quilt
Credits: Nina Simone "Wild is the Wind" Instrumental rendering