Hello, Memory Shapers!
How do you reexperience your best memories?
young boy sprints down beach
his trail of footprints dissolved
by incoming tide
past midnight we skulked
into a dark wild meadow
gaped at Milky Way
I’ve shared these two comics before. They are both poems I wrote in response to experiences I had with my children. Recently, while trying to avoid work, I stumbled upon a series of haiku I had written several years ago that were also written in response to life with my children. They were saved in a long-neglected folder in one of my old notes apps.
While not every poem I write is a memoir, so much of my life ends up in my art. I look back at many haiku and am transported to the experiences as if I were watching a replay of my life.
I’ve had my share (if I’m being honest, I feel I’ve had more than my share) of tough years. These past twelve months rank right up there with some of the hardest I’ve ever had to deal with, and so it was a gorgeous thing to relive all of these tender moments from happier times. It felt like the Universe was reminding me why I do this work in the first place—I believe in the transcendence of moments, and I want to share that transcendence with as many people as I can.
Below you will find a selection of poems from the rediscovered cache. I hope that in your own way, you will also be able to see these memories one haiku at a time.
night on the mountain
Milky Way sprawls overhead
awe of a child
sleep interrupted
boy’s jangled nerves need comfort
find father’s shoulder
she stands at tide line
rebuking the surging surf
laughs — water recedes
sultry August night
meteors streak from heaven
daughter wonders why
hand grips my finger
cool ocean wave approaches
trust wins over fear
cherished Guinea pig
interred in solemn service
colored stones mark grave
Artist Note
I cringe a little at the construction of some of these poems. However, there are a couple that I can’t wait to illustrate. I am back on track finishing the last bits for the first issue of Weirdoku. I plan on it being available to purchase late next week. Paid subscribers of this newsletter will get a complimentary PDF version before it goes on sale.
Be the poetry you want to see in the world!
Cheers,
Jason
Oooh, can't wait for the book.
It's great to see how you've preserved these moments of Life. I think it was Wendell Berry who said something like: "We are making our art as we are making our lives. And I'm sure the reverse is true as well." Raising a family, enduring those challenges, savoring the sweet times-- it's all part of a big work of art that is your life. Your book is sure to be luminous evidence of that!