I worked alongside a student yesterday to generate new writing: We looked at visual art to inspire our composing processes. I suggested we check out Didier William’s work, a new favorite for inspiration. We spent five minutes of concentrated, free-form writing, keeping William’s art in view. What came out was a poem from my student and a story from me. Here’s William’s work, cited from Two Coats of Paint, and my story below:
Above: Didier William, Rara, 2017
The Gatekeepers
Three sisters have a story to tell. They’ve been guarding it for as many years as there are eyes on their skin. Every time someone demands they speak, an eye opens. It stares, unblinking, at the offender. Their story will be told in time. I don’t know when we’ll hear it, if ever. Maybe they whispered it a century ago, at night. We were too busy staring at the whites of their eyes to hear the soft, black voices in unison, singing their tale. Siren song. Don’t blink–they never will.