words to sing - when i am dust
Thank you for joining me here for this quiet little conversation, taking a moment to be with these thoughts, words and images.
cloth painting in the wet studio on the rooftop deck
summer days making marks with thickened dyes and mark making tools
i recently finished 'The Book of Longings' by Sue Monk Kidd and came across these words written in a prayer by Ana, the central figure, when she is a 14 year old girl :
"When I am dust, sing these words over my bones: she was a voice"
these words struck me deeply and took up residence in my thoughts, i think these words will guide me for the rest of my life
i love the absolute clarity that sentence inspires: what do you want your life to mean when you are gone.
it's completely different than realizing a set of goals for instance, or establishing oneself in a career path. to me it's asking what is the essence you instilled in the moments of your life, what qualities permeate the spaces you inhabited
currently my vision is to bring beauty and grace and light, quiet inspiration and soft encouragement
hand stitches, painted cloth, quiet moments in the studio
And as always, I want to express my gratitude to be living and working on the ancestral & unceded territories of the hən̓̓qəmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples.I honour the incredible depths of grace, courage and perseverance of Indigenous Peoples, and look to them as an example as they find their voices amidst the noise and obfuscation of colonization.
until next time,
Mardell