Friday, September 19, 2014

Friday, September 12, 2014

Things I Should Know By Now



Expect
rain.

Expect
something spilled
precisely
after mopping.

Expect
seven-year-old
to not have
brushed teeth,
even with several reminders.

Expect
twelve-year-old
to throw garbage bags
“at” outdoor garbage bin
instead of “in” it.

Expect
fourteen-year-old
to fret about being late
worse than
the White Rabbit.

Expect
dirty plates,
empty pizza box
where nineteen-year-old
“chillaxes.”

Expect
rain
again.

Expect
to be loved
despite words
I should not have said
regarding the above.

Expect
all
to repeat.



© 2014 Jennifer Wagner

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Artistry


Photo © 2014 Jennifer Wagner



artist point
how a mistake can still be
so beautiful


© 2014 Jennifer Wagner


Above is a photo I took this summer at Artist Point in Yellowstone National Park.  The location got its name because it was widely believed that Thomas Moran created a sketch there which he used to create his famous 1872 painting, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  In 1890 photographer F. Jay Hanes published a park guidebook with the name and the title stuck.  The location Moran actually used is now called Moran Point. 

I was trying to convey the essence of that history in the poem, as well as another message which I think has a connection to artistry of any type: poetry, photography, painting, motheringsmilesetc. that, even if it may not be perfect, it can still be pretty beautiful.