Amie Tyler, MA, Higher Love Healing
Bridging Psychology, Energy, and the Other Side
Pandemic Poetry & Art Healing Project
All We Knew
It seemed that
today
We emptied the skies
and the forsythia cups
Deformed by spring winds
bent shy and
Whispering
said it’s their turn
To take the lead
that all we knew how to do
Was to break
everything we ever held
About the poem:
This poem came to me whole one afternoon back in April, when people began to shelter in place.
Soon after sheltering began, there were signs that the earth was starting to heal itself. Experiencing less human activity, air and water were becoming cleaner, and nature of every kind, and on every level, started to rebound. It’s as if Covid-19 had a greater purpose than just being a virus – that it was a means to give our planet a rest from our assaults and let nature take the lead again, and also, to remind us not to take life and our planet for granted.
Bio:
Ken Thompson enjoys writing and photography. He is the author of The Sky, The Stable, and Spaces in Between – A Compilation of Poetry, Haiku, and Photography (CreateSpace, 2015). His poetry has appeared in Friends Journal, the poetry website Bolts of Silk, and the book Answering Terror: Responses to War and Peace After 9-11-01. His photography has been exhibited in juried shows and in art galleries in the southern New Jersey area.
Mr. Thompson’s blog, Seventeen Farms – Thoughts of a Backyard Farmer, chronicles his personal experiences drawn from the perspective of living on a small farm, and features his writing, photography, haiku, and poetry.
Mr. Thompson lives in southern New Jersey with his wife and family.
About the art:
I tried to depict human intervention with the natural world and how we are prone to “break” beauty without thinking about the consequences. This is what I felt is the point of the poem, yet there's an underlying tone of hopeful wisdom – if we can just turn it over to nature, appreciate it without “owning it” or unconsciously consuming it… Even better, be a steward toward healing our environment, (to which we owe our lives) so it flourishes and becomes the paradise it can be… I believe we would be much happier beings.
My process is to use photo images and make a photo collage that I then digitally alter with texture, color change and highlights. There are about 10 different images within this piece. Sometimes I use my own photography, other times I use Creative Commons images that artists have generously donated for free use. I use images that I feel symbolically represent what I am trying to communicate to convey feeling and meaning.
Bio:
Mimi Searfoss is a Master Clinical Hypnotherapist, Integral Healer, and Transformational Coach. She has had a private practice for 12 years helping people to achieve greater wellbeing and health. She has a BFA in Interior Architectural Design and a Masters in Spiritual Psychology with a concentration of EcoPsychology. She is the Co-Author and designer of WisePlay, a book and set of cards for self-coaching and personal well-being.
Her education and career path has led to a greater understanding of true holistic theory and philosophy. Her passion is to teach people how to live in alignment with their authentic best-selves, and this includes teaching a reverence to our natural environment. She has had her own design firm for 25 years and taught commercial design at the University level.
You can get to know Mimi more here.