I thought I would add this poem by e.e. cummings.  It reminds me of the way I feel about my mom.  The book, "Conversations with Flowers" was published in 1963, a pivotal year of loss that included my father as well as J.F.K.

e.e. cummings: if there are any heavens my mother...

 
if there are any heavens my mother will(all by herself)have 
one.  It will not be a pansy heaven nor 
a fragile heaven of lilies-of-the-valley but 
it will be a heaven of blackred roses 

my father will be(deep like a rose 
tall like a rose) 

standing near my 

(swaying over her 
silent) 
with eyes which are really petals and see 

nothing with the face of a poet really which 
is a flower and not a face with 
hands 
which whisper 
This is my beloved my 

            (suddenly in sunlight 

he will bow, 

& the whole garden will bow) 

"Conversations with Flowers" a re-made artist book

"Conversations with Flowers"

a re-made artist book

The first exposure to Asian Art that I had as a child was through an accordion style book entitled,"Conversations with Flowers" I had forgotten about the book until I cleaned out my mom's apartment when I discovered it tucked in between two other books, a book in hiding. This was the first time I had seen an accordion fold book and I imagined that all books from Japan were made this way. When I re-discovered the book, I knew just what I had to do.  Here is how the book looks now.

 

After Sandy

After Sandy,
Today is the first day I was able to venture over to the ocean.  The Long Branch boardwalk is no longer.  It was the old fashioned wood that I remember from Coney Island.  Here it is plus assorted other debris in mountainous heaps. And yet the ocean's powerful beauty remains, independent of anything that has happened or will happen.

I did a series of small metal point drawings on paper during the time when there was no power.  I could only work for a few hours during the day.  Here are some things that happened.

The bottom drawing is entitled, "Tongue" and there is a small book that I have just completed with the same title.