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Hello Mid-January!
Another arctic blast is chilling things down in my little part of the world...and here I am trying to get to know my OLW for '25, barefoot. Hmmmmmm.
I've had to turn to google for some searching of places where barefoot might not necessarily mean warm enough to remove one's shoes. Hmmmmm
Lily Yeh calls herself a Barefoot Artist. She gave a TedTalk about her work in April of '24.
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| https://www.ted.com/talks/lily_yeh_how_art_transforms_brokenness_into_beauty?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare |
I imagine the term 'barefoot' comes from the Chinese description of someone with little training and few professional resources going out into the countryside to help people that have very little. Ms. Yeh's talk was fascinating and I'm so glad I listened to her.
After listening to the talk, I downloaded the transcript and sculpted poetic lines from it. I'm not sure it's a poem...but I like how it sounds and leads me to a new understanding of barefoot.
Flee this World
place home in
something essential
light
small
children’s laughter
joy
The world found broken
missing wisdom
compassion
endurance
Barefoot reality
walks in silence
safekeeping
the bone chamber
loved ones home
Dandelion School
perfect for color, joy
life, exaltation and happiness
A barefoot artist
creates with broken canvases
people’s stories the palette.
Fire in a winter’s night
yearns for this
now more than ever.
Embrace the broken
into beauty.
Words found by Linda Mitchell 1/17/25
Thank you, Tricia Stohr-Hunt for hosting this week's Poetry Friday round-up at The Miss Rhumphius Effect.
Wow, I need to watch this TED talk. Thank you so much for the heads-up. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there some saying about "barefoot learning"? I just cannot remember but your poem culled from the TedTalk makes me curious, and enjoying the thought of the line, "creates with broken canvases"! It's such an intriguing post, Linda. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWonoderful Linda - thank you for making space for folks in the margins, as this artist does. That first stanza of yours is a perfect little poem in itself. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLook at you making the most of barefootedness. Thanks for sharing about Lily Yeh. So interesting, and I think you did find yourself a poem in her transcript. Beautiful and informative.
ReplyDeleteI love that you are exploring BAREFOOT. I know it's going to take you down some really interesting rabbit-holes. :) I want to know more about the Dandelion School.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Exploring "barefoot" is intriguing. I love the last line of your poem - Embrace the broken into beauty.
ReplyDeleteLinda, your barefoot one word is shared lovingly in the last stanza. Embrace the broken/into beauty-is a call to action for this January's California fires. The world needs to address the barefoot reality of life and work together for solutions. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, I’m glad you had to travel a bit further for your poem, for sparkling treasures have emerged out of the found broken shards! Hope to listen to this Ted Talk also, Thanks! Keep warm from Antarctic-like Chicago…
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I love that barefoot can have such a slantwise meaning!
ReplyDeleteI especially love that first stanza, Linda. And now I really want to watch that TED talk. Thanks for introducing me to Lily Yeh.
ReplyDeleteWondeful Linda, your found poetry lines from the Lily Yeh TED transcript, are golden.
ReplyDeleteAppreciations for sharing the link which I hope to sit down with a cup of tea & listen to.
Am especially drawn to "The Dandelion School."
You are being open to many kinds of barefootness. Brava!