Born To Scream
Guard your spirit. To dwell on the unfairness of life is to be devoured by it. - E. Brown 
The Poets and Storytellers United prompt "what makes you scream" had me thinking we were born to scream ... that first primal gasping cry of a baby when it enters the world and sometimes gets slapped. We instinctively scream, or more likely screech, excitedly over good news and when in pain or in fear.
Letting out a loud sound can relieve stress but we're tested to stay calm, especially in the thick of traffic. It wasn't rush hour but plenty of vehicles sped along the freeway to Vancouver. On the radio, the news was all about a young hockey player and his brother killed while bicycling by an apparently drunk driver. To add to the suffering, it was the eve of their sister's wedding. If this doesn't make you want to scream, what would?
An eye appointment for my husband brought us into the city which is surrounded by mountains, ocean and many trees planted along sidewalks and by tall buildings.
Artists left their impressions on the waiting room walls at the clinic and it felt a bit like a visit to an art gallery.
Above is a 1982 painting called Tidal Reach #3 by Gordon Smith who was still painting at the age of 99, according to the internet.
Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the artist who painted the intriguing work above. Below is a 1984 boldly blue painting called Brash Sky by Leslie Poole. 
Maria Sammarco painted the delightful field of flowers you see below.
The 2008 work below named Praga by Laszio George was mesmerizing in a good way.
These works of art, the prompt and news of the day infused my prose with a slightly skewed version of Edvard Munch's multi-million dollar paintings. Aptly named Scream, his most famous work is said to represent the 19th Century artist's existential crisis or, simply put, melt-down over life's uncertainties, triggered by the cities of his era and industry seeming to swallow up the natural world. Some things never change.
There are four Scream paintings. The familiar image, found on everything from handbags to coffee cups, never gets old. It expresses the angst many feel about all the injustices in this world. But as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's mom once said: "Guard your spirit. To dwell on the unfairness of life is to be devoured by it."
Explore more at Poets and Storytellers United and SKYWATCH.
Check out my sites: Postcards from Penelope Puddle and Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.
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| HOLD ONTO THE LIGHT |
...Maria, your first images show the importance of tree, to shade and soften the urban landscapes. The Scream is a classic. I hope that you September is off to a good start, take care and be well.
ReplyDeleteThose paintings in the waiting room are wonderful. I think art in such places is invaluable to settling me down.
ReplyDeleteI love your poem. I love the quote from the Justice's mom, so true.
The photos, the paintings and your poem - all fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think a scream is a natural form of expression for a number of our emotions. Your poem certainly puts into words what the famous Scream painting conveys.
ReplyDelete"Born to scream"- that gets you thinking - turns the world om its head- great writing.
ReplyDeleteI love how you shared the waiting room art!!! Really intriguing work ~~ as is your Scream Poem.
ReplyDeleteA scream can be a warning or a call for help, an impelling means of communication, possibly an evolutionary survival tool.
ReplyDeletePublic art and beautiful, or even interesting architecture makes my day as I go about my daily tasks or explore the city. Thanks for the lovely photos.
I've heard screaming can be good for you. Love the collection of artwork. Hope the eye appointment went well!
ReplyDeleteThose poor kids! I wonder if the sister called off the wedding...think I would have done. I like the internal rhyme in the poem.
ReplyDeletePK
Photos, paintings and your poem says it all ~ hugs,
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
There's a lot unfortunately in today's world that makes one want to scream... though I think not everyone can fight back and overcome the unfairness of life...some are left struggling with it, sadly... :(
ReplyDeleteI so love your posts - despite some darker aspects of the subject you made me smile with your wonderful photos - Jae
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how art can reflect and evoke strong emotions.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful reflection on the prompt and the range of emotions that can make us want to scream—from deep grief to the beauty found in art. It’s striking how such moments can evoke such visceral responses, whether it's the tragedy of loss or the calm brought by art in unexpected places. The paintings you shared sound like they offer a beautiful contrast to the heavy news you encountered. Thank you for sharing this poignant and thought-provoking post. Hi wishing you a happy weekend. I just shared a new post please read: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/09/how-to-style-prepreworks-stretchy-slim-round-neck-knit-vest.html.
ReplyDeleteLove that you included paintings. Tidal Reach touched me, not sure why.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent post with great images and heartfelt words. So sad about the tragedy.
ReplyDeleteWhile we can not dwell on the injustices we can we enraged by them and demand action.
ReplyDeleteI love when doctors offices put effort into the art on their walls and it's not generic photos.
There is so much to read and see and enjoy here. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing those amazing paintings. Most news makes me want to scream. Wonderful poem.
ReplyDelete