Collage is wonderfully open ended and it appeals to many artists of all ages, experience and skill. It is a forgiving process. There are those who practice perfection which can dazzle even the most jaded. Others like myself, move quickly through ideas, moving along in an expedient way, layering over mishaps, building to a conclusion without regard to ‘proper’ technique and materials. My intent as an artist and writer is always to find the poetry in the materials while being in the moment to reach something that feels fresh and new. I offer this poem, a collage of words that I wrote in 2009.i

What is Left Out

syllable by syllable

line by line

shunning adjectives

evading metaphors

silent, impatient connections

dots of the imagination

this seamless composition

once finished echoes

like the singing bowl, 

struck once

reverberating 

 over and over

Joan Schulze