Dotty Wassily Kandinsky #5: Ditty
Oh Where Oh Where
right out of the gate
first thing this morning,
frazzled
frustrated
dispirited
why can’t i figure out this app
it worked fine for five days straight
and now nothing
what am i doing wrong
why don’t i know this stuff
and all the while
also a heaviness in my chest
and wordless mental malaise
running in the background
world events wearing away at me
but then
late in the day
can’t locate my teal zip sweatshirt
mutter to myself
—where the heck did i put it?
and the tiniest of shifts
lifts my heart
to say next
—oh where oh where can it be?
heart lifts another notch
lips hint at grin
i begin singing
sotto voce
—oh where oh where
—has my zip hoodie gone
—oh where oh where can it be?
heart grin and voice burst wide open
—with its pockets cut short
—and its sleeves cut long
—oh where oh where can it be!
in surges
a rush of simple joy
at being alive
right now
right here
singing this knockoff
of a childhood ditty
that taps a through-line
of well-being in my life
a gentle forgiveness
of my morning
=====

8 x 8″; watercolor, ink, metallic marker, watercolor pencil, and collage on paper
concentric circles and squares after Wassily Kandinsky
2025
=====
Notes About Poem and Painting:
• “Oh Where Oh Where” involved a potpourri of poking prodding playing pestering proposing pulling and puttering to land where it has landed, a different experience to catching a poem by the tail but equally enjoyable.
• My foci with “Sun Burning” were to experiment with more water and wet-on-wet with watercolors and to use a limited monochromatic palette. Fun! Once dry, the piece prompted me to respond to it with ink, pencil, marker, and collage. More fun!
=====
12 responses to “Dotty Wassily Kandinsky #5: Ditty”