'Life won't stand still!' and 'prey-predator interaction'
Poetry
by Danielle McMahon
Life won't stand still!
frankenpo sources:
Snyder, Solomon H. “Mending Shattered Minds.” Science Year: The World Book Science Annual (1981), World Book Inc., pp. 129-139.
&
A full-page advertisement for Kodak Eastman Co. in National Geographic Magazine, August 1953.
my mouth was full of birds
entombed, rambling ::
caught between my teeth
their feathers
I crunched without
cause & without motive
: : :
nowadays I see more & more
almost right into the sun ::
the action
the reality of life itself ::
the joys & thrills of
blood & broken bones ::
the ravages
: : :
precious above all others ::
a truly living record
deteriorated & choking
speaking incoherently & giggling
inappropriately much of the time ::
prey-predator interaction
frankenpo sources:
Morgan, David. “The Girl with the Unlighted Lantern.” New Horizons through Reading and Literature, Brewton, John E., Babette Lemon & Marie Ernst (Eds), Laidlaw Brothers Inc., 1958, pp. 191-195.
&
Brower, Lincoln Pierson. “Practicing to Deceive.” Science Year: The World Book Science Annual (1990), World Book Inc., pp. 68-83.
there are many forms of mimicry
sat down to supper by candlelight
/or/
there are animals that appear to be
large fake eyes rolling, churning
in a flash of lightning
/and/
there are animals to eat
other animals
/or/
uprooted, the unpalatable species,
the inconspicuous ones
through the leaves
almost invisibly
/or/
for a scant second
soaked to the skin
& raindrops glistening in the sun
/and/
some beautifully dappled
some beautifully dull & inconspicuous
some a yellow beam through the wet blackness
a mosaic of light & shade
& too much rain
/or/
this type of deceit
crumpled under the weight
of an old coat
/and/
nobody talked much at the table
About the Author
Danielle McMahon’s recent work can be found in Unlost, Witcraft, and Zhagaram. The two pieces here are frankenpo/found poems. Frankenpo is a fascinating and challenging form much like a puzzle; Danielle takes them from disparate sources so that when she mashes them together the results are unexpected. She lives in PA with her family. She posts on instagram as @dehm000.
About the Artist
Tena Smith is a multidisciplinary artist whose work in a variety of mediums has been showcased and sold in multiple galleries and boutiques across the state of Florida since 2007. Her love of experimental techniques can be seen in much of her work no matter the medium. Finding endless joy in the creative process and problem solving, it is the journey that drives her more so than the end result. She believes that sharing that journey with others in the hope of inspiring them to find their own unique voice is where true success lies. She describes her cyanotype process at Alternative Photography and she posts on Instagram as @tenasmithdesigns.