Inspirational Poems

While exploring the topic of dreams I came across a poem that reminder me of my childhood. I sent it to Anchana for possible inspiration.

Mist

Entranced in mist –
Mind mist; kind mist –
In a lea near woods –
Child woods; wild woods,
In shade serene –
We intertwined,
Exchanged a kiss.

Regal plumes of wings
Fluttered off and on
Attractive blooms:
Perfumed whores with
Nectar bribes.

The lea was our escape –
Innate – as of a child’s imagination;
Our psychotropic fantasy –
Legendary dynasty,
Silent in a deafening
Bliss of nature.

We – a creature paired
In one through coupled hands,
Caracoling, jaunting over
Grassy calluses –
Forgot about the world –
Cruel world, hard world,
In merciless extreme.

For now, we were the dream.

Copyright © Mark R Slaughter 2010

Here are some garden photos I took as well. I tried to achieve a dream-like effect by adding the Nashville Effect. 

 In response, Anchana sent me one of her favorite poems that referenced memories of love: 

Dear, Though the Night Is Gone

Dear, though the night is gone,
Its dream still haunts today,
That brought us to a room
Cavernous, lofty as
A railway terminus,
And crowded in that gloom
Were beds, and we in one
In a far corner lay.

Our whisper woke no clocks,
We kissed and I was glad
At everything you did,
Indifferent to those
Who sat with hostile eyes
In pairs on every bed,
Arms round each other's neck,
Inert and vaguely sad.

O but what worm of guilt
Or what malignant doubt
Am I the victim of,
That you then, unabashed,
Did what I never wished,
Confessed another love;
And I, submissive, felt
Unwanted and went out? 

WH Auden

International Connections

It is shocking to find out how technology has changed our lives. With the internet and skype, it is now possible to communicate and interact with students across the world. It makes the vast world seem much more manageable! This semester we are working on a collaborative project with Indian students at the Shristi School of Design. I was presently surprised to find out how similar indian students are to american students. For this collaboration I am working with Anchana Kota and we have decided to explore the idea of how memories tie into dreams. Anchana sent me a fascinating video while researching the topic of dreams:

Exploration of Memory

What is a memory?  Our life is composed of a finite amount of moments. Only a select few of these moments are stored as a memory. What deems a moment worthy of a spot in the memory bank? In the far corner of my mind, I like to imagine a massive filing cabinet, with innumerable draws. Some draws contain informational memory, facts and knowledge. Other draws contain emotional memories; snippets from my childhood, holiday gatherings, and the faces of family members are all stored there. Certain sights, smells, and tastes will trigger the thought of a memory. The file cabinet door will fly open, sort through countless files, and pull out the desired memory. The problem is... our brains are incapable of storing every moment into the file cabinet. There simply isn't enough space in our mind. Photographs can be viewed as our minds external filing cabinet. Rather than sorting through the filing cabinet within the mind, we can pull out a tangible form of a memory (a picture) to re-experience an old moment.  I plan to explore the concept of memory through photography. Here are the initial experimentations within the 1st week of class: