A few weeks ago, I discovered the beautiful poem “Delivery Rhyme” by Dora Malech and was inspired to use it for a whimsical art project during an online workshop with my soul sister–and fellow poet and artist–Marga Fripp. Marga’s gorgeous artwork, entitled “Willow Dreams, a magical sisters’ adventure,” can be found here. Mine is below and consists of a couple of erasures of Malech’s poem, the temporary map of an ineffable territory, and an almost poem of my own. One of the seashell angels returned to convey some gravity (and actual weight) to the project.

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Pelagic Poem

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The poem draws a map
of the soul:
its floating islands
& archipelagoes,
fathomless trenches
& latent volcanoes,
the newly-formed gulfs,
bays, & inlets,
the constantly shifting
coastline. What
else is the poem to do?
Be lost at sea?