In preparation for an intuitive painting class that begins on Monday, I have been working through July and August’s Life Book lessons, trying to catch up and complete one per day. On what must have been an emotional day for me, I began Tamara Laporte’s “Radical Compassion and Forgiveness” lesson.
This lesson was about letting go of anger toward someone who has caused us pain because that anger is damaging to us. By trying to understand the context of what was happening for the other person, we can see their regretful actions were caused by their own pain and their own misguided delusion.
I did not want “go there” and think of someone who hurt me deeply, much less send them love, so I immediately thought about the Holocaust. I don’t know why. I wasn’t able to apply compassion or wish something better for Hitler, but I did find value in creating this piece. Thinking about such deep loss is a privilege for me, here today because my family escaped Poland before they could come to harm.
Bare trees are symbolic of sadness and yet strength and life. I chose moody colors – purples, deep blues, and grays.
In 1942, Pavel Friedmann, a prisoner of Terezin concentration camp, wrote a poem called “The Butterfly,” and this poem came to mind while I was working on the background. His poem has been the inspiration for many projects to commemorate the 1.5 million children murdered by the Nazis. It was put to melody by Lisa Glatzer and the song and its words has been an inspiration to many. Pavel died in Auschwitz two years after he wrote the poem.
In the collage, I also included pieces of poetry from Dylan Thomas’ “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” Stephen Spender’s “I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great,” W.H. Auden’s “In Praise of Limestone,” “Lullaby,” and “In Memory of Sigmund Freud,” and Robert Graves’ “To Juan at the Winter Solstice.”
I took a course in college called “The Shoah,” bursting at the seams with video, books, art, and documentation of and about the Holocaust. It was intense but oh so valuable. Memories of that semester kept popping into my mind when creating this collage as well. Before long, I found myself weeping. That does nobody any good so I finished up and moved on!
“The Last Butterfly” by Pavel Friedman
The last, the very last, so richly brightly, dazzling yellow.
Perhaps if the sun’s tears could sing against a white stone.
Such, such a yellow is carried lightly way up high.
It went away, I’m sure, because it wished to kiss the world goodbye.
For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,/Penned up inside this ghetto./But I have found my people here./The dandelions call to me and the white/chestnut candles in the court./Only I never saw another butterfly./That butterfly was the last one./Butterflies don’t live in here.
Really beautiful, Naomi. Enjoy your class with Flora – I’m assuming that’s the one. I loved it and hope to take it again in the spring.
Happy Painting!
Kathy
Kathy Anne recently posted…Creating a Treasure Book of Dreams
Oh good! Today’s our first painting day and I’m excited to begin. 🙂
What a neat piece of art. I love how you included poems in the painting. That tree is pretty haunting – great job.
Tiffany recently posted…Jubilee Festival fun
Wow, thanks, Tiffany! I love your playful profile picture.
What a truly meaningful piece of artwork, Naomi.
My heart stopped for just a minute
while I read this….had to stop just to go quiet enough
to let the beauty settle in all the way.
Wow, friend.
Thank you for this stirring heartshare
and all of the gorgeous goodness
you poured into my cup.
Sighing deeply.
Yours is a beautiful, beautiful heart,
Jennifer
Jennifer Richardson recently posted…stronger in the showing up….
Jennifer, I think we were complimenting each other’s vision at the same moment. How wonderful!
Naomi, your piece turned out beautiful. What an incredibly moving poem. I think you captured his words beautifully in your art.
What a powerful piece Naomi. So rich and so multi-layered. Like life. Like all things. Thank you for sharing.
Deborah Weber recently posted…Opening Fall’s Door: 9/27/13
I don’t even know what to say, dear heart.
janet forrest recently posted…It’s Complicated!
What a powerful and beautiful experience. Thank you for sharing your process. Through your healing, I find myself healing my own hurts.
Michele Bergh recently posted…Life Lesson 38: Changing Reality
It’s remarkable… The power if art.
This is so incredibly moving and beautiful…that poem also takes my breath away. Thank you for sharing.
Sherri B. recently posted…R.I.P. Ruby Rose
So glad you enjoyed!