Art is Not a Thing
January 29, 2010
Art is not a thing. It is a way.
~ Elbert Hubbard ~
I.
Art is not the thing you hold in your hand.
It is the way you hold your hand
and your heart
and your eyes wide
open to the world.
II.
Art is the what behind the what.
Behind the how and the why and the who.
III.
Art is the beginning, unformed. It is desire.
Art is the middle, unsure. It is emergent.
Art is the release, unfettered. It is embodied.
And set free.
IV.
Art is the longing that belongs to the world
The song that sustains in the universal hum
long after the voice that raised it
Has fallen into silence
And gone to sleep.
* * * * *
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The what behind the what. Just perfect!
Thanks, Seth.
Sometimes I wonder if writing poetry about art is like dancing about sculpture. Using one language to explain another. It never quite gets there, but maybe approximation is enough?