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Diane Mayr and Janet Buell

Janet Buell Ravens in Snow watercolor and colored pencils on watercolor paper. 6” x 8” Inspiration piece Diane Mayr Ravens in Snow: three cherita Response Ravens in Snow: three cherita we humans must …

Anne Nowselski and Amy Souza

Anne Nowselski Response District Taco By Amy Souza Inspiration piece We got tacos at 7 and by 9 asked, Is this it? The dog slept on the floor, back pressed against …

Lisa Nielsen and Jay Young Gerard

Jay Young Gerard “Detritus Has No Soul” Response I Stood, Longing By Lisa Nielsen Inspiration piece I stood on the edge past the yellow line and the train’s rush daring your anger to push …

Jay Young Gerard and Lisa Nielsen

Jay Young Gerard “My Rock and My Redeemer” Inspiration piece Loneliness on a Bitter Sunday By Lisa Nielsen Response I, drifted between gravestones and angel statues, fingering the carved wings; my chest stretched by …

Robert Haydon Jones and Greg Lippert

Greg Lippert “Summer of Jimmy” Inspiration piece The Good Humor Man By Robert Haydon Jones Response There were 83 children under 16 living in 17 houses on Jimmy O’Hara’s lane. Jimmy …

Greg Lippert and Robert Haydon Jones

Greg Lippert “You Don’t Know What Sad Is” Response Nelson at Spithead By Robert Haydon Jones Inspiration piece Little, 5-year-old, Jimmy O’Hara was about to be murdered and there was nothing …

Cathy Stevens Pratt and Kamika Cooper

Cathy Stevens Pratt Response Assumptions By Kamika Cooper Inspiration piece don’t make assumptions about how i am feeling based on how i look for all that you know i have become hallowed out empty yet …

Lisa Kilhefner and Jackie Wood

Jackie Wood Inspiration piece Pick up by Lisa Kilhefner Response Pick me, pick me, pick me Pick me up Pick up, pick up, pick up and go. Pick me up and don’t put me …

Jackie Wood and Lisa Kilhefner

Jackie Wood Response Knockout By Lisa Kilhefner Inspiration piece I don’t fight fair. I don’t fight at all. Once I tried but the punching bag looked more like a water balloon, and one hit from him was …

Amy Souza and Anne Nowselski

Anne Nowselski Inspiration piece Butterfly By Amy Souza Response Butterflies don’t worry about attachment When they wrestle away the cocoon Soar wispy but not frail The woman who discovered their life cycle Was ridiculed …

Darice Shatteen-Jones and Evelyn Ihrke

The Galaxy and The Fall by Evelyn Ihrke Response Our Fated Fall written by Darice Shatteen-Jones Inspiration Piece I am a climber Epicurean by nature And also by choice Thick, curvy, thewy …

Evelyn Ihrke and Darice Shatteen-Jones

Horizon from Angola to Canada photographed by Evelyn Ihrke Inspiration Piece Sonje Lavi written by Darice Shatteen-Jones Response We landed here, back here I suppose, on a Sankofa vessel. …

Jules Rolfe and Kathleen Finn Jordan

Jules Rolfe Response piece Short Poem Kathleen Finn Jordan Inspiration piece I love the short poem It draws the picture Sculpts the moment Captures the feeling… Leaving beauty, awe, tears or chuckles In its wake I …

Urmilla Khanna and Darice Jones

The Match outer photographs and collage by Darice Shatteen-Jones (model: Teondre Newman) Response Excerpt from Boundaries of the Wind a memoir by Urmilla Khanna Inspiration Piece The following week, …

Darice Jones and Urmilla Khanna

Today photographed by Darice Shatteen-Jones Inspiration Piece The Bench written by Urmilla Khanna Response “You mind if I share the bench with you Henry?” she asked. The word Henry …

Kathleen Finn Jordan and Jules Rolfe

Jules Rolfe Inspiration piece Patterned View Kathleen Finn Jordan Response piece Evening falls and footfalls tred the path along the beach Expanse of water wraps around as eyes like arms spread, …

KJ Hannah Greenberg
and Linda Sorrells-Smith

Linda Sorrells-Smith “Watching” Oil on canvas Inspiration piece The Laughing Man’s Eyes By KJ Hannah Greenberg Response piece The laughing man’s eyes, like so many high Falutin drum rolls, brightened before …

Linda Sorrells-Smith and
KJ Hannah Greenberg

Linda Sorrells-Smith “Enviromantle” Response Ebony pencil on paper Nonetheless, Encouraged State By KJ Hannah Greenberg Inspiration piece In rippled lands, brutality’s strictures no longer reign. There, pyres swell sky over ocean, smoke away …

Darice Jones and Kamika Cooper

Kamika Cooper “earlybyrd” digital photography Inspiration piece Morning Twilight By Darice Shatteen-Jones Response I woke up at dark thirty (as we call the deep night in some parts of our African diaspora) …

Kamika Cooper and Darice Jones

Kamika Cooper “currentsurfer” digital photography Response This Time Around By Darice Shatteen-Jones Inspiration Piece I wanted to be the bird But I was the air Expanding everything that pulled me in Holding things up Without being …

Janet Buell and Diane Mayr

Janet Buell February Couture Sennelier soft pastels on black paper. 6” x 8” Response Diane Mayr February Dusk Inspiration piece February Dusk Dusty rose embroidered in ice blue. The designing moon peers proudly upon a gown resplendent with crystals. “Will you let me …