Anthology of Poetry (2020)
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New Beginnings
So the course has begun. It’s a chance to make more art, Attending Chelsea College An exciting new start. I’ve painted portraits before, But now I want a change, Experiment with media And find a further range, Of media to work with. Express myself through performance, But recently in plaster, There’s paper mâché, wire And clay. But I’m certainly no master. The lockdown Like a vulture, Has cloaked me. It’s claws are in my work, So overlook the flaws. In the end though I’m left sore with anxiety. The final term now begun. Don’t sit back When things are now moving. It’s a run and a sprint to the end! Mary-Ann Stevens - Nov 2020 |
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Survival
Covid-19 is something to fear, Infecting people in their millions, And preventing many, From being near one another, Not even to their mother. Anxiety levels are reaching great heights, Troubling times We have to fight. It’s survival for all now, And all I know how, Is to make art! It’s surely a start From me to tell my story. A relief and a short breath, Sharp but with meaning, Always with feeling. Great sadness for feeling very alone, All my favourite people, Only reachable by phone. Not too long ago, I would travel into the City, Now in lockdown, It’s such a pity, I can’t study in the Open studios of Chelsea. The course nearly over, And I’m desperate to take in, All the opportunities, Not to leave, Unfinished, Not diminished, By Covid. Mary-Ann Stevens - Nov 2020 |
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Being Social
Social media blinks at me Every single day. Even in the night, It glows at me. Selfies, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, twitter. We are stuck to the screen And my art must be posted If I want it to be ‘seen’ The importance of a ‘like’, Is like a belt pulling Tight around my waist On the edge waiting to breathe A sigh of relief I’m in the public gaze Forever imprinted A crazed technology that Tracks my work, Available for unwanted And the most aspired. Affected and feeling rejected. To be social is important But life has now changed. For the current artist Social media has become critical Crucial When the modern world is Brutal. Mary-Ann Stevens - Nov 2020 |
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Thinking
Thinking all about lockdown I cant help but frown. Lockdown has locked me in my house. I feel like a mouse, Timid, frightened Scurrying for a way out. The dynamics of lockdown, The anxious fingers of Covid19, Curling around my neck, Curled around my plans to make art. I’ve had to depart From any expectations I had And this makes me sad. Mary-Ann Stevens - Nov 2020 |
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Skin
Right from birth, I lay curled, Skin to skin, Against mother’s breast. Fragile and vulnerable, Now open eyed, Soft skin, Milky white, Squinting at the light. My journey as a child, Has suddenly begun. Growing into a woman, Running, Hanging onto life. Skin stretching. As a woman, I turn, To look over my shoulder, Inevitably getting older. My breasts, My bum, Fleshy and bumpy. My first bra. The perfume I spray on my neck, My clothes, Less than comfy. More revealing, Less baggy, Worried breasts are getting saggy. I need not be ashamed Skin is reality. Imperfections, Rolls of fat, What matters is clarity of skin. Skin is our history, The journey we take. Worry lines Is what we make Of living. To be a woman. Mary-Ann Stevens - Nov 2020 |
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