Kris Beaver
I Was a Naughty Square Dancer
Oh, how fifth grade PE
brought out the imp in me,
that pubescent rascal
chubby sense of humor kinda gal,
a wannabe popular desperado
on the gym floor who got in trouble
and sent to Mr. Smoke's office
for kicking up the bouncy flounce—
puffed skirt of the dosey-doeing
girl ahead of me, exposing
her precious, pansy-dappled pink
underpants. What made me think
to do that? I remember laughing,
and Miss Godie's grapple-grip yanking
me out of our cockeyed formation,
the cold oak and humiliation
of waiting alone on the principal's
bad kid bench, practicing my initials
in my very best cursive on the wood.
My penmanship was pretty good.
Try to Praise the Mutilated World
A Golden Shovel after Adam Zagajewski's "Try to Praise
the Mutilated World" translated by Clare Cavanah
So many self-destructive things you've
thought while wincing in shame. You've heard
sirens whisking suicides through the
night. Feared the electric switch executioners
flip on command. Felt the urge to sing
a dirge at your own service after joyfully
planning your inevitable denouement. You
have wasted living rehearsing dying. Should
anyone so ungrateful get another chance? Yes. Praise
each breath and beat. Let them propel you into the
flora, fauna, land and waters. Heal your mutilated
self. Earth's grace absolves the wounded human world.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
The Poetry by the Sea Spring Celebration is available for viewing on Youtube as a permanent memorial and tribute to Mezzo Cammin's founder, Dr. Kim Bridgford (1959-2020). Click here to watch.
The 2022 Poetry by the Sea conference will run May 24-27 2022.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| My work contributes to the dialogue among feminist writers, historians, critics, and artists to define a space for creative work and agency for women. Through my figurative paintings, I challenge notions about the female body, redefine myths, and recover the lives of historical women. I draw upon my knowledge of art history, symbolism, and iconography to create rich stories about the women I paint. By projecting my own likeness into many of the portraits I create or by using models, I identify with the women I paint and explore my own sense of being an artist and woman in relation to accomplished women across centuries and cultures.
Here we see the pages from my newest artist book, I Wake Again, based on the life of Pre-Raphaelite artist and poet, Elizabeth Siddal. The poems are written by Kim Bridgford, who was a dear friend for 30 plus years. The pages are printed in lithography and the initial letter of each poem is done in silkscreen. The font of the poems is Morris Font. The ink color is graphite. I have reimagined key moments in Elizabeth’s life, such as her birth, her writing poetry, reading, painting, and her death. Each book contains red hair and has been bound by Maureen Cummins.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
