Plein Air Poetry - Introduced at SLO Plein Air Festival

At the recent San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival... I was introduced to "Plein Air Poetry".  It is a common form of poetry where the author experiences something while outside and jots down the poem. The name originated at the SLO Poetry Festival.

One night, Kevin Patrick Sullivan (an exuberant man and producer of the SLO Poetry Festival)  hosted a group of local poets that read some of thier creations at the Art Center to a crowd of painters and poets.  In fact... two of the poets tagged along with two of the painters at the event and wrote about their experience. Poet Paula Lowe gave me a gift of her groups book "Poems for Endangered Places" and Kevin gave me "The Space Between Things". I was so moved by the work and their generosity that it inspired me to create my own poems that come from my personal painting experiences.  Here is my first work titled "Morning at Pelican Point".  There are sure to be more.

"Morning at Pelican Point"

Sun backlights

this enormous remnant

of coastline past,

while the pelicans sleep 

camouflaged on its

sharp decline to the sea.

Part shade

part sun

sometimes fog

The iconic monolith watches

blue horizon

creamy dunes

the long intruding pier

and amazing birds...

just as it does every day.

10/2/2009

Associated Painting:  Pelican Point - Pismo Beach

copyright 2009 - Richard Lindenberg