Poem by Deborah

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Exploring and Questioning Space

Exploring my thoughts and questioning my thinking,

manipulating materials into forms of struggle and achievement,

I ask myself, how do I construct a visual vocabulary from memory?

Rituals of my past and present shape formal and conceptual images

I fear not, as the shadow of death follows me closely, even in the light

Like my thinking, its presence is not always seen, but it is contemporary

Space creates unexpected opportunities

What you see may not be public but private

Tensed dialog connects me to the planet

My spirit, shadow and I occupy three spaces

My spirit runs free and sculpts history from the world of the dead to the living

Who knows how many have passed before me

There is not enough space on earth

for the breathing and lifeless to occupy at the same time

When I exhale my last breath, I make more room for the living

As my body transcends back to earth

My identity is shrouded by materials

Deborah McDuff © 3/2/13