She is a mid-life poet/photographer who lives in small-town Southern Ontario, Canada with her husband, her mom and their three cats. She writes in the morning after her coffee, but will often respond to prompts on the spot. She likes variety.
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| Portrait of the Artist |
“Don’t worry about cool. Make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world.”
These words by Sol LeWitt are to be found on Kat's blog, and I can see that she has taken them to heart.
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Kat Mortensen©2012 |
The Jump
by Kat Mortensen
Race you to the other side,
she said, toeing off her
beat-up sneakers and tearing
barefoot through the tunnel
without looking back.
He had other ideas.
Over his head, came
the old, worn tee-shirt
from his boyhood years,
and he squirmed out of
grungy jeans,
going down as far as
his under-pants.
Flip-flops kicked off
with ease.
He placed first one,
then the other foot,
on the cold iron
rails.
***
Breathless, and grinning ear to ear,
(at last! she'd beat him
to the end),
she turned around,
but he was gone.
Kat has generously offered these beautiful photos for our poetic inspiration. If you add an image to your post, please acknowledge the name of the artist.
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Kat Mortensen©2012 |
I’m rediscovering my world from new angles...
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Kat Mortensen©2012 |
I’m not a photographer; I’m a poet who takes pictures.
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You are welcome to view more of Kat's images on her blog, My Little Town, Elora. However, we ask that you do not select one of those photos for this prompt without the express permission of the artist.
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Kat Mortensen©2012 |
The Sunday Challenge is posted on Saturday at noon CST to allow extra time for the creative process, so please do not link up old work which kind of fits the image. Members will only respond to poetry written specifically for this prompt: this is in the spirit of our Real Toads project to create opportunities for poets to be newly inspired.
33 comments:
nice...kat is the one that first challenged me to write poetry in a comment she made several years ago....
Wow, Brian! She must have an eye for talent like none other, in that case. I'm very glad you took her up on that challenge. Thanks for paying us a visit and giving her your support here today.
Great pics to choose from! Sometimes I can struggle with these photo prompts, mostly just deciding which one to pick, but this time around one of them was just screaming at me! Thanks for the prompt, as always.
Thanks so much, Kerry! I have created a post with the photo and the poem that links back here.
@Brian Miller - Just want you to know that I read your work, but by the time I get to you, you're so loaded down with comments, that I feel superfluous! Still, I am proud of my prodigy. ha ha
@Mary Mansfield - I'm so pleased to know that one of my photos has struck a chord with you. Yeah!
http://poetikat-km.blogspot.ca/2012/03/kat-among-toads.html
P.S. And Brian, My God you're prolific! I can't keep up!
thank you kat...you started this crazy mess...smiles...
You say "crazy mess", I say "legacy" (yours, not mine).
Thanks for offering up photos, Kat. It's hard to follow the poem you posted, but I found the exercise rewarding.
Viva la
Thanks so much Kat for letting us be inspired by your beautiful photography.
Wow....just plain wow...the photos along with the words make me speechless.
Really enjoyed the poem! I was prone to taking off barefoot myself-
usually straight as she did;
Did I lose friends from it?
Not often! (more likely to run than dive from height)thanks.
Wonderful stuff to choose from! i will be writing mine later today. :-)
PS--Um, Kat got Brian started? Kat, a word please...
:-P
Thanks, Isadora. I'm sorry you found the piece hard to follow; it flowed well enough in my mind. I guess it just didn't translate well to the page.
It's my pleasure, Susie!
Thank you so much, Hootin Anni (love the name btw)!
Glad you enjoyed it,Izzy! I'm with you (literally); I'd be the one running too!
I will look forward to reading it! Thanks!
Mea culpa! (in a good way)
I'm on my iPod right now (pinky-typing), but will visit you all later in the day.
Thank you for your warm, appreciative comments.
Kat
Um, Kat, when Isadora said your poem was hard to follow, she meant it was a hard ACT to follow... I know what she means :)
Oh, I always feel a little insecurity with my pieces. I'm glad to know that's what she meant.
ok Kat, really unrefined piece here...wrote it for you today and will probably work it out this week...
In Living Colour
do we
live in color or black & white?
it's a choice and honestly
i like the detail of the second
unless of course, this is a metaphor
then i rather shadow & shade,
where the dark & light mix
there is seldom two sides
& to jump is no option
if you read the signs
& i so want to sing Five Man Mechanical Band
here, but
we're walking, this boy & i
across the bridge between town & Percivel's Island
over the James, & pass a soiled, discarded
teddy bear, a matted lump of hair,
some kid dropped or---
we pay it
no mind as we walk & talk, life &
as we make our way back, a girl
barefoot on the old railroad ties
worn with dirt herself, stands hugging the bear
staring out along the water
& behind her the light of the city
give way to night,
pale in comparison---
signs, signs, everywhere there's signs
do this don't do that
can't you read the signs
I thought Kat's poem was hard to follow.. you've made it ten times worse, with your:
& to jump is no option
if you read the signs...
Back to the drawing board...
(All kidding aside - a huge response to the photo!)
Great Stuff, Brian! Allow me one correction (as I'm a senior in this group, compared to most of you), but it's Five Man Electrical Band.
I know this for three reasons: They are Canadian, I was ten when the song came out, and I'm a freak when it comes to music.
By they way, I think that's MY girl holding on to the teddy bear.
Love it!
~Kat
ha, thanks kat...tesla did a remake of the song and if i am not mistaken the title of that album was mechanical resonance which is probably where i got that from...sad, i even looked it up to be sure and my mind still mixed it...
@Brian Miller - Trust me, my friend, as you get older there are many more of those moments to come! (smiles)
Lord...the talent around here is daunting at times. The photos are beautiful and hit me in the heart having grew up around all of that. the poem is a knockout and yes, hard to feel like anything I do can measure up. Amazing Kat.
I agree the talent is overflowing ~
Thanks Kat. I will be posting mine tomorrow and will share with OLN...I am a newbie in all this writing so I am still editing it...
Yay, Kat! I love your photography (you know I love your poetry)!
And, after reading Brian's comment, I love you for igniting his voice. You are very special.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lydia!
You are too kind!
I'm of the "don't-hide-your-light-under-a-bushel-school" and Brian's poetry needed to be revealed!
~Kat
Wonderful photos Kat! So happy you allowed me to use the photo that drew me in! Wonderful Brian...I love how we inspire others!
I look forward to getting to know you better! Back to the 8 ball ;D
Top stuff, these photographs! Just sorry I couldn't join the party earlier.
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