Collaboration: Pavement and Paint

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Today I’m collaborating with a wonderful photographer from Ireland: Meticulous Mick. He sent this image along with the challenge of putting words to it. The photo is filled with so much feeling that I’m not sure I can do it justice but here are a few thoughts that came from staring at it:

photo by John Grant/Meticulous Mick

plodding pounding
searching
for something
other than
pavement
and paint

there are doors
that could lead
away
but they are always
closed
so I keep
plodding pounding
searching

I don’t even try
to open the doors
anymore
nothing can lead me away
nothing
but my own mind

For more Ireland scenes and photos filled with feeling, visit Meticulous Mick. If you’d like to collaborate with him, visit his collaborations page.

What does this photo make you think of?

69 thoughts on “Collaboration: Pavement and Paint”

  3. My 1st thought is why is the door not red too – weird I know! My 2nd thought was oh there is a person in the photo – did not notice that right away due to my eye going towards the door. My third thought was like you where does the door lead to. Great Post – Happy Hump Day:)

    • Hahah! The red is really vibrant – I can see why you’d be drawn to it and the door. Doors are always fun. You never know where they might lead. Happy almost weekend!

      • I am just a curious person – ha! Happy Almost Weekend to you:)

        How is the weather in your neck of the woods? It hit 59 here yesterday – doesn’t know it is suppose to be Winter here in the Sierras – weather is a coming though – snow and rain.

      • Sure – torture me with your 50s! 🙂 It’s been in the 10s here and we had another snowstorm this morning. Still had to go to work, then when I finally made it in, there was no power. But I still love the snow. A snow day would have been better though. 🙂

  7. My thoughts were this: this is a young man wearing jeans and a jacket; perhaps he is on his way to a job interview so he can escape the somewhat seedy area he seems to be living in.

    • He does seem to be pretty dressed up for the area. It makes me wonder what he’s up to. If it was a job interview, I hope he got it and I hope he didn’t give up on his dreams.

      • He still has hope in his gait… I hope so too.
        Thank you so much for the follow, Sheila. It seems like both of us like to write in response to pictures. I find that pictures open up the poetic side of my brain very quickly… is that your experience, too?

      • Yes, especially if I keep staring at them. 🙂 I love photos like this because there are so many possibilities and somehow hope comes through too.

    • Thank you! I love the photo too. It makes me wonder what he’s doing and the more you think about it, the more possibilities there are.

  11. Awesome picture and poem. I love that last line about nothing can lead me away but my own mind. And I agree with Renee…why is the door not red? But it makes for a great contrast.

    • Thanks Char! I tried to throw a positive spin in there at the last second. 🙂 That’s true – the door almost seems separate from the building because of that color difference. Maybe it is a magic door after all.

  13. Hi Sheila, everytime we want to post (which is always) we have to scroll, scroll, scroll, but it’s worth it. You have sooooo many followers and generate such discussion. we LOVE this post and think you knocked it out of the park with your beautiful words.

    thanks for sharing, much love, xo LMA

    • Hahah – thank you! At least scrolling is good finger exercise. The more you visit, the skinnier your fingers will be. 🙂

  15. This is one reason why I don’t do prompts—I tend to be too literal in anything I would write. And that’s if I don’t first draw a complete blank. Luckily, there are writers like you who are more than up to the challenge and write pieces that make me think, “Yes!”

    • Thanks JM! That’s funny because I think I usually describe the obvious things too much and don’t let my mind wander enough. It’s fun to see what comes out of it though!

    • Thanks Letizia! I hope you won’t be plodding and pounding too much on those city streets. I guess slipping and sliding is more like it these days. 🙂

  17. Great rhythm! Even the beat of “plodding pounding/searching” really fits the mood of the poem — it’s got a bit of a frantic, restless quality.

    • Thanks Britt! It’s fun to do, especially when the photo is as inspiring as that one. You never know what could be behind doors like that. I was tempted to throw a goat in but I controlled myself.

  20. Perfect melding of words to an image, Sheila. The markings make me think of hiding in plain sight. Like there is something else there that the marking shield from view. 🙂

    • That’s a fun way to look at it. All kinds of things could be hidden there like magical symbols or the key to figuring out the universe. And that guy is just walking right by it all. 🙂

    • Let’s hope so – sometimes we think a door is closed when it’s really open. That’s my fortune cookie advice for today. 🙂

  25. I loved your words on the photo Sheila 🙂 And I love Mick’s blog, isn’t he an amazing photographer ? Have a beautiful day 🙂

  26. Pingback: When I am me, I am free | a physical perspective

  27. Great job Sheila. I enjoyed Britt’s collaboration too. And thought to myself it would be difficult to write ‘to’ a photo. I see the graffiti first, and then the contrast of blue pants against a red wall. I like that you made an association that is not really seen, the pavement and the contact implied. It’s inspiring to see artist try new ways of doing things, Thanks!

    • Thank you! It’s a fun challenge, especially when the photo isn’t yours and you don’t really know the story behind it. It’s always fun to imagine all the possibilities.

  28. Wonderful collaboration, Sheila! I love the last stanza in particular. I think the photo is so compelling, like does the man see the art around him and where is he going.. I love that you wrote a poem here xx

    • Thanks Christy! I’m not a real poet like you – I don’t really know what I’m doing when it comes to this kind of writing, but it’s fun when the phrases jump into our heads. This photo is great for that – there are so many possibilities.

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