[Sarah-Jane Crowson]

Here's a charm, or physick. It's part of my exploration of a source text. This part of the exploration uses the words/recipes of a (18 text to create charms, or physicks, for different, contemporary ailments.

The moths 'mean' words in the symbolism of the series. I haven't worked out quite yet from what source text all the F figures might need to be drawn from. The text that accompanied this is:

A charm 'to fortify the heart' for all poets & artists whose work was rejected last week, & for indie editors making tricky decisions.
May your weekends bring inspiration & your week be filled with ‘the best cinnamon, nutmegs, citron peel, galangal & sweet white wine’ ( part of the physiks is performative, to share the text externally)

(I also wonder if it might be a charm to get some other poet/artists working in the in-between spaces to post in this forum.)



I'd be interested to find out how the image lands, and in particular if you think that the charms might land better if I rework them to be metrical, a kind of rhymed couplet.

[Jim Moonan]

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To answer your question, yes, I do think the charms should be metrical/lyrical. It would enhance them to being spell-like.

I'm having a little trouble understanding how you're constructing these physiks, but as I poke around I find myself in mystical territory. Places where conjuring happens, spells are cast, spirits summoned. But I am still looking for that place/source text that has the nucleus idea of fortifying the heart (it seems one has a need for that on a regular basis these days) and I especially would welcome anything chanted, recited, given to assuage a restless soul.

I like the visual. There is great dimension to it; there is an interior and an exterior; there are celestial bodies, different forms of darkness and lightness, and a colorless paper cut-out of a woman who gives flight to moths.

Moths... Here in the US there is a podcast called "The Moth Radio Hour". It is produced by "a nonprofit organization that celebrates the commonality and diversity of human experience through the art and craft of true, personal storytelling." Its name originates from moths that are drawn to light, where people gather to hear stories. Something like that.

I suppose your moths are on their way to the flame; to heal. Btw, the moths are unusual looking. Are they real? And then there's the colorful bird on the woman's hem... All very intriguing. I wish there was more activity on this board. Granted, the creation of physiks is a niche endeavor...

Is it these words that yo c want crystalized into poetry?

A charm to fortify the heart
for all poets & artists whose work was rejected last week, & for indie editors making tricky decisions.
May your weekends bring inspiration & your week be filled with ‘the best cinnamon, nutmegs, citron peel, galangal & sweet white wine’


I wish Mary Meriam would drop in...

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