The Fence
an ekphrastic poem based on Alejandro Cartagena's exhibit 'An Invisible Line'
Photographs from Alejandro Cartagena’s ‘An Invisible Line’
rusted barbed wire
a sharp refrain
this metal is rooted in blood
a cross-hatched identity
migrating both ways
which came first
the north or the south
can soil be indigenous to a dessert
can sand be foundation to a metropolis
some say the highest peaks
started underwater
a topography of division
leaves landscapes yearning
feed me a fresh pangea
mangoes
and dates
and dragon fruit
and plantains
leave the metal to the birdsI love how inspiration is contagious and how the act of creation is a cyclical expansion. One idea seeds the next. I’m grateful for exposure to Cartagena’s work. You can find more here.