• Call – Color Feel, Theme of the Month
• Response – In Proximity
• By – Mimi Peterson

In Proximity

Staged by design, 
Neither an absolute unicum, 
Nor a sculptural continuum.

A critical mass, the arena set in a meandering sprawl,
Seen as a monument to hierarchy,
Continual expansion of the false emperors power,
Constructed around dark notions of axial age and fear of ruin. 

Pretenders pose at stagecraft,
Weaponized words, spiked and sharp, 
Meant to exhaust Liberty, 
Female circus-go-round vs. MAGA comic arts compete for equality.

Transmutation on their mind, 
Ancient gladiators for hire, 
Modern storm troopers under oath, 
Commanded by desire. 

Transmutation on their sword, 
They play with the Philosopher's Stone, 
The metal blade tipped in Earth, 
Sprouts seeds of birth. 

Combinations forced by different vocabularies, 
Old energy invoked to describe The Male Gaze, 
Women wedged into the worn ground, 
Objectified by Modern Man.

Making allusion to centuries past, enslaved in political motion, 
Erudite gladiators implant deformities, later abort as entertainment, 
Artificial attempts to create truth or dare,  
Reduced to membrane between him, her.  

On land or sea, bared to the net,
Dreams of battles won, of roaming women to bed, 
The emperor calls for combat,
Told to self defend, to lick salt on their wounds, 
Protected by a breastplate of feathers, loincloth of chain, 
Nowhere to hide, fight to the end.  

Portraits in proximity, 
The world is witness to reason-defying "-isms", 
Earth's natural curve flattens to a line,  
Disjunctive thinking without dimension,
Still at war, civil rights but wrong, contemporary left or right,
Justice undone.

What will history's inheritance be,
Transverse the hearts journey,
Greeted by Nature's pageantry, 
Remake cultural gems,
Be lifted by the music of birds. Deeper.

Roam the ruins, under an invisible dome, 
Shadowy crown to spectator glory, 
Medieval knights fly coated banners, in shades of conspiracy yellow, 
Choose a primary color, red or blue, vote to follow your leader. 

Stroll the scenic trail, watch the dancing light pale, 
Stonework, stained glass, and climbing roses are meant for cathedrals,
Brought into arenas to sing the dismal chorus of controversy, 
In need of sun to thrive, by nature will disappear. 

Opt to find the paths to the planets that inspire romantic poetry, 
Walk the circle to discover the theme of the day, 
Welcome, celebrate, farewell to mutiny, no walls surround,
No need to surrender, scale tall towers that wait.
Be Dazzled!                                                                             mp  10.2024