triveni spotlight : 3 july
- tejisethi13
- Jul 3, 2022
- 1 min read
triveni spotlight
A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY!
hosts: Teji Sethi and Kala Ramesh
guest editor: Scott Mason
Theme: hand play
master potter
almost not touching
the clay
Alan S. Bridges
The Heron’s Nest
Vol. XIII, No. 1 (March 2011)
All these poems were originally published in The Heron's Nest. I chose to confine my search there not just for the quality but also for the convenience of its online archive.
Scott Mason
'Selfless work'
This is what I would judge upon the line 2 which says
'almost not touching the clay'
Without any expectations.
He is a Master Potter and so his hands shape the pot automatically. He doesn't need to look at the colour, the weight, the water, the clay.... everything is on its own. Detached from the worldly things and yet attached to the work he has to do for his livelihood.
Isn't this a beautiful example of living our lives? So simple and yet a message in what we do.
master potter
almost not touching
the clay
---Alan S. Bridges
Alan’s poem is simply stated, easily understood, and yet, deeply reflective—like what the potter is doing. At a certain point, a master artist/craftsman seems to simply will a piece of art into existence, and the body follows along reflexively, "almost not touching." It’s a state of being outside oneself, yet intensely engaged with the inner workings of cognition.
This is where the artificial mind/body partition of Descartes breaks down; a point where one’s identity becomes merged with the physical world---the clay, in this instance. I see this as a primal sort of awareness, one we have traded for “civilization.” Call it artistic transport. Call it “being in the groove…
For me, this haiku spoke through music. Any art will flourish without the author's intrusion. Ls 2 & 3 talk of just that! master potter
almost not touching
the clay
This has repercussions in almost everything we do.
To be a mother and still not smother our kids. Crushing and hugging her each time. To allow the child to be.
The more I meditate on this haiku - the more it yields.
Thanks, Scott.
I wish you could drop in and share your thoughts with us, here. _()_
A master potter - i have never done this but my first thought is: what could a master potter teach me about mastering my own craft: poetry. The next two lines give me food for thought. A master tanka poet is subtle, just giving enough detail to spark the imagination.this is especially true of the Japanese tanka writers.