Silver to Line Her Nest

Medium Description

Acyclic on Canvas.

Artist Description

When her brother died,

she said,

she was full of anger.

Anger for his wife. Anger for the hospital.

Anger for all the people who failed him.

He should still be here, she said.

From the medicine deck she drew a hart.

Antlers like trees in winter.

Approach with gentleness, it said.

Leave your aggression behind.

I can try, she said.

She,

a magpie,

looking for silver to line her nest,

___________________

I painted this for a grieving friend. I was moved by her story of how, not knowing what to do with her anger, she drew a card showing a deer from a deck of medicine cards. I wrote the accompanying poem, based on the words she shared.