O Christ Cedar by Susan McCaslin
by Steven McCabe
You among emerald drapery
from your wind-
stormed outpost
plank and plane
vertical-horizontal world pivot
sprung from coastal seed
humming core
flaking bark
woodpecker’s grail
growing a wilder carpentry
taller masonry
more commodious poem
Be in us the world’s resinous heart
hung in a spackled sky—
forest green
hoist and balance
equipoise and reach
sylvan singer song
Susan McCaslin, author of Demeter Goes Skydiving (University of Alberta Press, 2011), initiated the Han Shan Poetry Project in November of 2013, a union of the arts and activism to save an ancient rainforest in Langley, British Columbia. http://www.susanmccaslin.ca
Artist Stasja Voluti generously allowed me to reconfigure and manipulate her photographs of cedar trees and ‘things cedar’ including crows visiting cedars. To learn more about her work visit: http://talonbooks.com/meta-talon/surrealism-in-text-and-image-a-conversation
Nest and Three Eggs of Cardinal in Cedar Tree photographed by W. L. McAtee in 1905 as part of the series Birds of the Vicinity of the University of Indiana.
poemimage 
Fantastic work by all three of you!
Thank you Kim. I feel a bit like a chef here sifting and sorting and combining various nutritious, locally-grown, organic foodstuffs.
Absolutely! 😉
This is a gorgeous merging of work!
Beautifully done, Steven.
Thank you very much Karen.
Absolutely glorious collaboration!! Delectable and delicious! Congrats, Steve and Susan!!!
A beautiful melding of your talents — gorgeous!
Thank you Pam. Very glad to hear you think so.
Thanks so much Penn. Good energy all round!
Wonderful work!
Thank you!
Stunning three way dance – one of my favorite posts – everything works together seamlessly – kudos to you all…
Hi John, thanks a lot and glad to hear what you think of it. You’re in B.C. aren’t you? You might have walked past one of these cedars.
Steven, the first and third images are really striking. The colors with the first seem to tell a whole story, while the third carries a hidden aspect revealed only in the light of the setting sun. I love the poem too. Cedars have been a big part of my journey.
Thank you Jack. I see how the images you mention would be ‘up your alley.’ Cedars in your journey! They strike me as rich, warm, earthy, ancient. I would like a relationship with actual cedars. You and the poet have this in common.
Ah… I love the clouds coming to life! I’m catching up on the blog and really enjoying this sort of (de) evolution into textures.
Thank you Sarah. Maybe with the textures I’m trying to aim the digital arrow into something ‘real…’ Or maybe it’s an anchor and not an arrow.
Just beautiful!!
Thank you so very much!
Beautiful artwork! Great poem!
Thank you Susannah!