Praise the Rain

From my IN THE DEEP series, which expresses a multi-layered narrative ... of the feminine, of climate change, of the undulating tension between different kinds of power and strength. Water is the subject and metaphor, given its never-ending depths and our inability to survive without it. Color fields and soft edges invite the viewer to dive into the story. In addition, the words of women poets are woven into each piece to add more resonance and meaning ... and to give voice to what is all-too-often washed away.

Joy Harjo is one of my all-time favorite poets. I saw her speak and read once at an AWP conference many years back, and I was enthralled. She is majestic, wise, sentient. An aura of calm strength comes from her, and I am in awe of both her and her work. This painting pays homage to her poem "Praise the Rain," which follows.

Praise the rain; the seagull dive
The curl of plant, the raven talk—
Praise the hurt, the house slack
The stand of trees, the dignity—
Praise the dark, the moon cradle
The sky fall, the bear sleep—
Praise the mist, the warrior name
The earth eclipse, the fired leap—
Praise the backwards, upward sky
The baby cry, the spirit food—
Praise canoe, the fish rush
The hole for frog, the upside-down—
Praise the day, the cloud cup
The mind flat, forget it all—

Praise crazy. Praise sad.
Praise the path on which we're led.
Praise the roads on earth and water.
Praise the eater and the eaten.
Praise beginnings; praise the end.
Praise the song and praise the singer.

Praise the rain; it brings more rain.
Praise the rain; it brings more rain.