The Poetry Jar

Most of my jars tell a story, or are a visual representation of my thoughts. When you look inside this jar, you see, through the glass, poems written by Savant when he was about 18 years old. This jar holds so much of Savant and me that I could never sell it. The pictures on the outside are beautiful to me, but also have meanings. I liked the irony of putting a Federal frame around this beautiful Native American Chief. To me, he is much more noble and honorable, than any of the genocidal federals you usually see pictured in such frames.


The little girl at the bottom of this picture symbolizes the freedom of today's African Americans. She is happy and cherished, dressed like a little princess, looking out her window at the flowers and birds, at a world with few limits.

No Flies On Jesus
They move like matadors
to swat the flies,
and we, in turn,
move like flies
to kill the bull.

*****
This picture shows Christ holding up a warped church, standing on the Earth. His gaze is directed toward the suffering people on the left. That is his chosen focus, not the religions that were invented by others, in his name. Does he look like the kind of guy who would feel comfortable hanging out in cathedrals, being worshiped and Holy all day? I think he looks more like a guy who is ready to do the hard work.

This shows what the poems on the inside look like. The picture of the Navajo man is flanked at the top by semicircles that are halves of a plate made to commemorate the new millenium. They are there to symbolize that few his people, and most of the native peoples of this hemisphere did not make it to this millinium.


The central figure here is a little Native American girl in a photo by Laura Gilpin. The design around her is to honor her beauty. Below her are some pictures of other people from the past. Above her is a tattered American Flag.

At the bottom, the picture is of a bison hunt, and to the right is an old Native American looking back on what their life was like, what it will never be again. Above are pictures of flowers, a Japanese lady, Buddha and a native American "notebook drawing".

The bottom of all my jars have pictures also. The Latin inscription, roughly translates to, "Bidden or unbidden, God is here." The pictures on either side of the inscription are of, in vitro fertilization, on the left; and Gabriel, the Angel of the Annunciation (the one who tells Mary she's pregnant) on the right. Personally I think the old "virgin birth" excuse is a pretty lame explanation for being pregnant, but you know how stories can get stretched and embellished after a few centuries. The Jesus story is just as good without the stuff that requires you to suspend your common sense. Take away the virgin birth, the magic, and the rising from the dead, and he is still a wise man. Why do churches want you to believe absurdities to prove you are worthy of God's love? In that case, Andrea Yates, poor delusional sweetheart, and others like her, will be first in line at the gates of Heaven. You end up with people killing themselves because they think there is a Jesus-mobile behind a comet.

Keebler's cookies are not made by Elves. And the Mormon Boys said no matter how nice I am, I'm going to Hell.


You Are
Sad and sitting
in the rain
scrawling nonsense
on yellowing copy-paper
marooned
on the islands of self,
staring blindly
out at the world,
as it rockets by
at the speed
of sanity.