BBBB

Cherry

By Di_Hard

Tue, 28 Dec 2021
  • 5162 reads
35 comments
 

In rows, shining stems and identical, (almost)

spikey tips, grey. Where could each take me?

Their names gave nothing away : HB, 2B, 

etc pointless as a road without scenery or signs.

To hold one, scrabbled from the sleek cling 

of numbers was to hold a seed, a root, a waiting

to find itself on paper. I could release the core,

free it in a scribble, tame it like a horse

to ride my imagination, map unfolding thoughts.

Then I bought a 4B, by mistake. Broad. Strong.

POWer. The line became my partner

in new found certainty and nuances of smudge

dreams become 3D, leave their fingerprints on reality.

When you fall in love with darkness, life is never still

 

 

from reading Ewan's brilliant poem : https://www.abctales.com/story/ewan/pencils

 

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

A wonderful poem - and also wonderful to see you've been inspired to write it by another ABCTaler!

4b is a fabulous pencil - my favourite!

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I didn't know you are an artist as well as a fabulous writer!

Thankyou so much for the cherries :0) Ewan's poems are so often inspiring

 

Submitted by Ewan on

- or any cw site - is for, I believe. Very good poem, Di.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much Ewan, both for your kind comment and for posting your striking, thought provoking poem

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Di,

The good old pencil, I don't use one myself, there's not much lead in my pencil! An entertaining read, Di.

hilary  laugh

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for reading and commenting, Hilary. I am glad if you found it entertaining. I hope you are well and have a good New Year with lots of writing

 

Submitted by HarryC on

It reminded me of years gone by, when I had a huge collection of pencils and notepads - and used them!  Not used a pencil in ages.  Perhaps it's good to get back to basics.

I never really understood the HB, 4B, 2B stuff, mind.

I particularly love the lines:

To hold one, scrabbled from the sleek cling 

of numbers was to hold a seed, a root, a waiting

to find itself on paper.

Yes... the essence of it all.

By the way... do you know this Spike Milligan poem?

Said Hamlet to Ophelia

'I'll make a sketch of thee.

What grade of pencil should I use?

2B or not 2B?' laugh

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Harry, it is lovely to hear from you :0) I did not know that poem but I am so happy I do now as it's brilliant, thankyou! Definitely give it a go with pencils again! Just the drag of them over the grain of the page, you know you are making something? Maybe because pencils are wood, they grew, once, were alive. There is a dignity in pencils

 

Submitted by Nolan on

Good luck experiment a bit I would say! All the best Di!

Nolan &

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Exactly right, Nolan! Thankyou very much for reading and commenting and I hope you have a wonderful New Year

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

B is for soft, dark but smears easily. H is for hard doesn't smear but not so dark and thinner lines. There are lots of funny combinations. I would normally use HB but for technical drawing H. They recommend 2H. Gentle! A pencil lead is carbon graphite so it breaks easily.

Tom Brown

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for your informative comment, Tom, that is so kind of you to give your time to explain. I had not realised H stood for hard,  thought it was for thin as a hair :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I was a bit puzzled by your last line, and then realised it was the darkness of carbon on paper being able to form pictures or words over the clean sheet?! Rhiannon (at first I thiought you had gone back to Day 2 and B of the other) I'm afraid I always prefer ink as my pencil scribblings never seem very clear.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Yes, you are right :0) 4B pencils are quite dark and thick, they scratch a little on the paper like charcoal. Not really meant for writing with. But they don't seem to go fainter, which H pencils do. Biro ink much more longer lasting! Thankyou for reading and commenting Rhiannon :0)

 

Submitted by marandina on

A journey into types of pencil - who knew there were so many?!

A pleasure to read, of course. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

You should go to an art shop :0) Is like sweet shop only it's pencils and pastels and paints, SO TEMPTING!!! Thankyou very much for reading and commenting

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

love those lines:-

I could release the core,

free it in a scribble, tame it like a horse

to ride my imagination, map unfolding thoughts.

I've only ever used an ordinary pencil to sketch, never thought of using coloured pencils before, it sounds like fun.

Lovely poem that stirs the imagination.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much Jenny, am really glad you found that, although I feel rather cheeky as was remembering your amazing, unforgettable Daydreamer poem while writing, I think  https://www.abctales.com/story/skinnerjennifer/daydreamer

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hello Di, I will treasure the fact you read that poem again. It leaves me with hope and is so encouraging.

Many thanks.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I hope I don't ever forget it, that poem is gorgeous :0) I am so grateful for having read it

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

I loved where this went. I know nothing of pencils. But I walk around stationary (stationery?) shops like some people drool over chocolate. You made the pencils come alive!

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much, Catherine, I am very glad you understand :0) I sympathise about stationery departments, though think with me I am fantasising how if I bought a file in every colour I would be transformed into an organised, efficient person, instead of one who is too scared of the snappy bit even to open them :0)

Thankyou again for reading and commenting. and making me think about being stationary in a stationery department, or a stationary train in a station about to depart...

I hope you are having a lovely holiday

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much, Catherine, I am very glad you understand :0) I sympathise about stationery departments, though think with me I am fantasising how if I bought a file in every colour they would transform me into an organised, efficient person, instead of one who is too scared of the snappy bit even to open them :0)

Thankyou again for reading and commenting. and making me think about being stationary in a stationery department, or a stationary train about to depart a station ...

I hope you are having a lovely holiday and get to spend lots of time in stationery shops in the New Year :0)

 

Submitted by Nolan on

They banned me from this stationer I didn't even steal anything. Spending too much money apparantly. Didn't even let me look at the Bibles it's pot luck. Was looking for German or French the Zulu one I did get? Me too I love stationers &

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Have never heard of a person being banned from a stationery shop! Elastic bands maybe :0)

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I love the way your words describe how being able to create pictures gives you such freedom to let your imagination run wild. Each line describes how wonderful it must be to be able to draw.

I have the wild imagination and I have paper and pencils. Only the ability to draw is missing.

I really envy you.

 

Turlough

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Art is a strange thing. I believe very much that if you need to make art, you should. The only trouble arrises from getting stuck in the confines of what art 'should' be ? My partner thought the same as you, and now he is gathering followers on Instagram with his abstract nature paintings? They are full of movement, colour, LIFE. Because you don't need to be good at copying what you see in order to paint how you feel? There are cameras for that, as you well know, being an accomplished photographer :0)

Abstracts are something else, balance, contrast, movement, they are like great music doesn't need to be tied to words, colour and shape don't have to be tied to representation? Perhaps it is easier to communicate emotion without? I was told I had to learn life drawing to go to art college, so I did, after refusing all through school. It is like doing crosswords, it is just a skill anyone can learn, YOU CAN IF YOU REALLY WANT TO, and it is very useful for impressing children :0) But the joy comes from looking at something that moves you and then trying to make that feeling on a flat surface. Great, brilliant writers can do it with line breaks etc. But to catch the litheness of a cat with a swish of charcoal, in a second, that is magic, too :0)  Just let go!!!

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I understand what you mean Di, but I think I need some help to get me started. Priyatelka feels the same way. We've both given up on the idea of ever being able to draw lifelike images ... you've either got that particular skill or you haven't, and we certainly haven't. But we both believe we have an eye and an interest for creating abstract art.

There's an art materials shop in town so we're going to go in there and ask them if they know of anywhere locally where we might be able to get a bit of tuition. This sort of thing isn't common in Bulgaria and we really need a tutor who has a smattering of English. But we will persevere.

Thank you for your encouragement and advice. Priyatelka said thank you too.

Turlough

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Great comment, Di_Hard! I know what Turlough means though - I love watching paint dry on TV eg Portrait Artist of the Year etc - and I have lots of ideas but not the skill. But writing or art, it should all be about enjoyment, at whatever level and the sheer joy of trying to get something out of your head and onto the page and never mind any rules.  The Swish of the Charcoal!! yes

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Your comment is great, Catherine! I wasn't paying proper attention to what Turlough had written. Trying to depict ideas from imagination is not the same as abstract paintings. It is necessary to have recognisable images to tell a story or get a message or idea across. Perhaps Photoshop could be a way to go? Your poems are genius :0)

 

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