Sharon suggested I take this painting more seriously, and so I have. She is right, of course, as she usually is. Thank you Sharon.                   watercolor painting by mary macgowan

Walking

Even Umbrellas Can Get Political

Wake Me When It’s Over – a political poem from the last election

Things bump along fine
without me. Early presidential
candidates mocked, Colbert
shows I can’t watch because
I don’t know truth from comedy
that’s how far from the hula hoop
I’ve wriggled. Volcanoes, draughts,
firestorms, the miseries of war.
A hurricane promoted to excite
the masses, gas prices, negotiations.
Photos of a female candidate
filters through on FB. The
tip of a long corn dog in her mouth.
We can’t be nice to those we love
so don’t bother watching wars.
The world sucks its own dick.

– poem and pastel painting by mary macgowan

Enough Like Love Or Just Enough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She’d been
too much
no one could take
her.

Snugged up,
buzzing wings quiet,
quiet. Circling eyes

stilled

swaddled

desired at last.

– poem and painting by mary macgowan; painting is acrylic and gold messed up with twigs

Time to Let Go

she’s tired
broken
sick of hanging on
half underwater.

time to let go
& climb out.
painting to the trash bin.
it’s ok. can’t be fixed
anyway.

– tissue paper painting and poem by Mary MacGowan

Lepomis Megalotis

We called them sunnies and bluegills. Small fish that crisped up nice in the frying pan. This one’s a Longear Sunfish.

One summer day, fishing with my dad in Celery Bay, we caught so many of these lake fish that they filled our pail. Casted out, landed them. Casted out, landed them. Dad finally said, “We’d better fill the bottom of this boat with water and keep ’em that way.”

He poured the pail full of fish into the boat and they flopped about while dad, fast! fast! bailed backwards & water poured into the boat until there was enough to keep the fish alive, but not so much that we’d sink. Slippery fish skimmed past my ankles. An occasional gill prickled. We kept casting out and landing them until they stopped biting.

We rowed home laughing and yelling for our friends and family to see our empty pail and our rowboat a quarter full of water and 44 Lepomis Megalotis. And they did. And they laughed and yelled too.

We bear witness for each other – that’s what makes it true.

I was 9.  It’s a perfect memory.

– watercolor painting (and life story!) by Mary MacGowan

If

Sometimes, if you say it too soon it flies away.

Then you must wait to see if it comes back.

disaster and bars

disaster bars 2
(must click twice to hear song)

(and my apologies – first post the song attachment didn’t work)

water drips down on graffiti walls
brick and mortar and painted plaster
and walking overhead on your bridge of stars
you hear voices drunk on disaster//on disaster and bars

sizzling in the river // you hear the moon whisper
and still up there on your bridge of stars
voices laugh and drink faster // you hear disaster and bars
you make a bed with your Goodwill coats -so what? who cares?
nobody takin your biography notes

sure, there’s someone out there
and maybe you could ask her, you could ask her
but all those people up there on your bridge of stars
walking home plastered//all you hear is disaster and bars

up there on your bridge of stars
under your sizzling moon
your time will come soon
under your own bridge of stars
it’s all disaster and bars
all disaster and bars

Oil painting and song by Mary MacGowan

Metta Sutta (middle section of)

Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease.

Oil painting by Mary MacGowan