Eco-poetry

Deviled Eggs

Posted by Vonn

Deviled Eggs

A painting and a poem

I dedicate this painting and poem, “Deviled Eggs”, in memory of all the brave souls who have died sacrificing their lives for a better world.

As part of my series “Cry of Creation,” this work focuses and shines a light on the existential and spiritual threat we face as humanity confronts our own extraordinary power to tip the climate into an imbalance that threatens the future of the world as we know it. We are all important and all uniquely indispensable! Yes—You and Me!

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Dedico esta pintura y poema, “Deviled Eggs”, a la memoria de todas las almas valientes que han muerto sacrificando sus vidas por un mundo mejor.

Como parte de mi serie “Grito de Creación“, esta obra se centra y arroja luz sobre la amenaza existencial y espiritual que enfrentamos a medida que la humanidad confronta su propio y extraordinario poder para desestabilizar el clima y amenazar el futuro del mundo tal como lo conocemos. ¡Todos somos importantes y todos singularmente indispensables! ¡Sí! ¡Tú y yo!

 

The truth IS, God gathers, the devil scatters!

La verdad ES, Dios recoge, el diablo dispersa!

Deviled Eggs—A painting and a poemDeviled Eggs

Mammon (Devil of Greed) would deceive us saying—
“We’re entitled! All on Earth is ours for the taking!”
then turn and make our world an Omelet of Deviled Eggs!

From the spoils of our addiction,
to profits quarterly earned,
is spun the myth of Utopia!
While Greed clear-cuts timber,
and ancient forests burn

Priceless black blood lies in the womb of our Sacred Earth.
The Blood of Dinosaurs and giant Ferns.
As we—Sucking-up on it
like Mother’s Milk—
We as Combustion Burn!

The myth of endless growth
slurps up— “me thinks”
the broth of Sacred Life,
eons ago gone Extinct.

Yet we reward extravagantly reckless greed.
We make no shame, but tribute pay,
to those who would pay-out our future lives away.
To what extent and how far down
are we drilling and willing to ignore,
the council of our Wisdom
that makes up Freedom’s Core.

What has blinded our good sense?
That binds us to our folly.
knowing it will be at our future world’s expense.

What has hobbled our humility and morphed it into Pride?
Who has turned us off our path and broken up our stride?

We sing and shout the chant of Mammon
“If I can buy it, it’s mine! If I can do it, I will!

Oh Stupid! Oh, Self-Deceived Fallen One
We follow!
Down our hole we Go?

No! Let us ransom our Earthly Mother—
from out the skillet—set her free!
So she can spin and twirl in dance,
Blue Mother Dancing Free!

Lord God has let us ride through this our space and time,
a ride given to us FREE.
It’s where Earth has always been for us
and where She always wants to be.

A.Vonn Hartung © 2022

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Fishers of Men

Posted by Vonn

I dedicate this Painting and Poem to all First Responders.
All people who are suffering
or Acting to live in Balance with our Climate,
who strive for the good of others
and Future Generations…

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Dedico esta pintura y poema a todos los socorristas.
A todas las personas que sufren o que actúan para vivir en equilibrio con nuestro clima,
que luchan por el bien de los demás
y de las generaciones futuras…

 

Fishers of Men

Fishers of Men go out further than any boat can know.
They sail over the shoals and rocks, where no others dare to go!

They fish with nets of Mercy in seas and oceans drag,
for those who’ve lost their footing and off the decks were dragged.

They troll in lakes of poison, in rivers clogged with slime
to pull aboard the wretched that Sin has rendered blind.
They scoop up the fragile and their kind, that hold fast to the line of flotsam and jetsam
that hope has left behind!

They surf the tides of turmoil and teach no fear of death.
They rise in swells of innocence until clear knowing builds and crests.

Fishers of men, fish for Souls, Souls that lose their way,
those who’ve sunk below the pale,
who in the deep of muck and dark, in the bottom lay.

Fishers of Men are Saviors!
Compassion, Love, and Mercy are how they reach so deep.
Following the Savior they’ve learned “Saving Grace” comes through Faith,
Humility and Penance in Redemption is forgiveness.
It is the Master’s Way, the Truth and the Life.

So as they Fish they teach us the Way to Pray, which is to say,
fish to save, for ALL on Earth are fragile and ALL on Earth need us to Pray,
to Serve, so in our own turn—We may save
and with our Savior stay …

A.Vonn Hartung ©2022

 

 

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Eve and Adam—a pandemic carving

Posted by Vonn

When the COVID-19 pandemic was announced in early March 2020, we were ordered to lockdown/ Quarantine.

As a professional woodcarver, and not knowing how long we would be quarantined, I realized I needed to do a woodcarving—carving has always acted as a grounding effect for me. And I knew it would need to be a carving that would speak to the Pandemic, but also that which I believe brought on the Pandemic—an imbalance in the mode in which we live with Nature, the destruction of the cosmos! Impending climate collapse!

The Question is, are we—the Human Species—continuing to cause this imbalance, and if so, can we correct it?

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Cuando se anunció la pandemia de COVID-19 a principios de marzo de 2020, se nos ordenó el confinamiento/ la cuarentena.

Como tallador de madera profesional, y sin saber cuánto tiempo estaríamos en cuarentena, me di cuenta de que necesitaba hacer un tallado en madera; tallar siempre ha actuado como un efecto de conexión a tierra para mí. Y sabía que tendría que ser una talla que hablara de la pandemia, pero también de aquello que creo que provocó la pandemia: un desequilibrio en el modo en que vivimos con la naturaleza, ¡la destrucción del cosmos! ¡El inminente colapso climático!

La pregunta es: ¿seguimos nosotros, la especie humana, causando este desequilibrio? Y, de ser así, ¿podemos corregirlo?

 

This Question is the essence of the message of the carving. 

 We see our modern-day Adam pondering this question, shown more as his temptation—recalling the original story of the Garden of Eden.

To answer this, the parable of The Garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit speaks to us here and now as we find ourselves in A Garden Moment.

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Esta pregunta es la esencia del mensaje de la talla.

Vemos a nuestro Adán moderno reflexionando sobre esta pregunta, mostrada más como su tentación, recordando la historia original del Jardín del Edén.

Para responder a esto, la parábola del Jardín del Edén y el fruto prohibido nos habla aquí y ahora mientras nos encontramos en Un Momento de Jardín.

 

Eve and Adam

“Our Garden Moment”

Time was we thought right from wrong,
was caused by what Adam did
for lack of judgment less than strong.

But since we left the Garden
we’ve wandered and we’ve strayed,
off the straight and narrow,
off the path we’ve paved.

Seems some still hold the feeling
that it should not be them to shame—
But that “surely it was the Other.”
So they invented Blame.

So they reject the garden story
along with forbidden trees.
They see no problem in doing anything
they “Damn Well Please!”

Now our Modern Adam
has quite a powerful Thrust.
Cause with nods from his Investors
it is “In Him they Trust”

So it’s come and so it goes
so many times around.
It’s made us all quite dizzy
and scrambled Sacred ground.

So now We stand-in with Eve and Adam,
but this time we’re ALL around,
looking up once again.
But knowing the Forbidden Fruit
still is mostly underground.

But now the truth stands out for us,
for all of us to see,
where once were lies, it’s clear,
spoken in whispers, OH so low,
whispered in one man’s ear.

So with Eve we tremble,
as our new Adam eyes what may be reason,
for the last time that we Fall.
And again mistakes
in thinking of no consequence
if he listens to The Snake.

Our Eve cries out “Listen to us Mothers
and Will-be Mothers, for little time is left.
Hear our voice, it is our choice
to birth and bear our kin.
Who if worthy of Us,
will do for those who follow,
what WE now do for Them.”

For it was before, we little thought
beyond our children and theirs.
Now we must “In God we Trust”
be the bridge for all our children’s
future tomorrows…

A.VonnHartung 2022

 

View the video—

Ecologist Nick Brokaw introduces Vonn and his pandemic woodcarving Eve and Adam

The Fate of Jonah

Posted by Vonn

Fate of Jonah is a painting by A.VonnHartung, from his series "Cries of Creation" inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment "Laudato Si".

The Fate of Jonah

The Fate of Jonah is a painting and sonnet from my new series “Cries of Creation“, inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si“

El destino de Jonás (“Fate of Jonah) es una pintura y un soneto de mi nueva serie “Gritos de la Creación“, inspirada en la encíclica “Laudato Si” del Papa Francisco de 2015.

 

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Jonah was a good man from the start

for he saw beauty in all things that lived,

and knew he was of it a part.

He was with God, he lived, he loved and prayed.

 

Then one day God tested him! This is what He said—

Go to Nineveh, for there they’ve strayed in sin.

And tell them how they’ve lost their way.

And teach them how to live, to love and pray.

 

Now Jonah’s knees began to shake,

like a mighty mountain began to quake.

 

And Jonah that night ran away

on a ship whose course was far apart

from where he knew he should depart

to do what he knew was right.

 

But doubt and fear had closed his heart.

And greed and self-interest had closed his ears.

 

The fate of Jonah we must heed

for his redemption is our great need.

To do God’s will and change our ways,

for now it’s us who’ve gone astray.

 

Only fools run from God and try to slink away!

 

Those of us who were good to start,

who have the sight, who have the heart,

help us Lord not to turn away, but let us turn

and face our fate and know our place.

And live and love and pray!

 

Ships of Fools

Posted by Vonn

"Ships of Fools" is a painting and sonnet by A.VonnHartung, from his series "Cries of Creation", inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical on the environmental crisis "Laudato Si"

Ships of Fools

Ships of Fools is a painting and sonnet from my new series “Cries of Creation“, inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si“

Ships of Fools (Barcos de Tontos) es una pintura y un soneto de mi nueva serie “Gritos de la Creación“, inspirados en la encíclica “Laudato Si” del Papa Francisco de 2015.

 

Buy a giclee print of this painting

 

We do not know where fools’ ships go,

for all they tell are lies.

Their Captains have no course nor maps.

They only sail where blows the wind,

and only at their backs.

 

The captains’ futures are all invested.

In the market they do rely.

No thoughts of destination nor direction,

for on the Big Board they have their eye.

 

Ni port nor starboard do they veer,

nor course corrections do they dare

while in the current of their winnings.

 

But, if Mammon-wish tickles their fancy,

quickly will their trading shift.

Or if by chance they be becalmed,

then happily will they daze and drift.

 

Their crews are drifters all,

 from the sea the captains plucked.

Their losses and misfortunes

are the foolish captains’ luck.

 

The passengers all are gamblers.

These ships are what they sought.

Cheap one-way tickets

are what they scrambled for and bought.

 

All good one-time married men,

left their wives behind—

knowing, like some good husbands,

they thought it would be kind.

 

For on these one-way foolish ships,

ships with no return,

there is no need to bother, ponder, or discern.

Foolish ships are bound to flip,

for black holes they are bound!

It is their way

when gone astray

that fools do double down!

 

Let us learn again to sail

the oceans with her winds.

And tack, when need be,

so when the wind swings round

we yield, to her lead.

 

To keep on course, we cannot force

Nature to do our will.

Our destiny is to bend and mend our ways.

The signs are all around us

all the time, numerous as the waves.

 

It’s only fools who sail on ships

 captained without a course,

ships that sail to nowhere!

Of this I cry BEWARE!