“I want to cultivate the seed that was placed in me until the last small twig has grown.” - Kathe Kollwitz
Great Echo
By Lisa Kagan
There is a great echo, it is memory
in our bones, the curl of our hair
my grandmother keeps her curls in a box
on the third floor of a Manhattan apartment building
I wear my curls
turning spirals in the wild winds
I dream of having a little girl with curls some day
I will have long gray curls one day
we all wear each other’s faces interchangeably
in this transference of lifetimes
my old roads are unknown to my new feet
no ending to the things begun
no answers to the questions that propel us through the beauty of this world
into the illumination of the next
my life is teaching me the words
to enable it to be a story which can be told
our journey brings us to the meeting place,
origin, the beginning
do not feel lost when you realize
you have made your way home.
A Creative Opportunity
As the season begins to change, we have the opportunity to turn inward again, returning to the room inside ourselves. This month I invite you to pour yourself a cup of tea, turn off the ringer on your phone and give yourself the gift of uninterrupted time to reflect and create. Whether through poetry or prose, painting or collage, try using these questions as a way to get started…
- What do you feel like you carry with you from previous generations that is central to who you are and to the person you want to become?
- In what ways do your family’s origin stories offer insights that can guide you as you build the next chapter of your own life?
Join us for our upcoming fall workshops…
Register now for our fall workshops, or contact Family Heirloom Arts to set-up a free initial consultation so you can learn more about how we can help you write and illustrate your own heirloom book for your family.
“Lisa is a true teacher. She is so encouraging and helpful, asking just the right thought-provoking questions at the right moment. She has a rich body of knowledge and the ability to share so much, both about the conceptual and technical parts of personal history projects.”
– Jennifer, Family Heirloom Arts Workshop Participant
