storm walker

confused

wanting to rest and regroup

you're introverting

but at the same time reaching out

with your thoughts

hands feet to the four points

of the compass

breathing

from earth to sky

surrounding yourself with a heart cocoon

imagining

you in your place of birth up north

standing looking at the sounding waves

protected by your waterproof parka but most

powerfully by a giant infinity scarf

knitted in yarn anthracite on white

an intricate iconography

of runes like grain or rain

big soft circle wound around your neck

protecting your lips against the icy bite

but going on long enough to embrace all of you

infinitely

not knitted by you

but a labour of love from someone

always there for you by your bed

when you were a kid

always asking

dear love

what is it

you wore this warm love circle for years

whenever walking in a storm

but it disappeared

in the long run

you're retrieving it from memory

and it's really a soul retrieval

there's an answer in the storm

and it's a question

can you hold a clear wave in your heart

storm walker

can you face the music

because love made a snuggly circle

to keep you warm

and you cannot live without being warm

dear love

what is it

said your shelter from the storm

wrapping your circle scarf tighter

around your fragile body warmth

listening to the breakers in your heart

striding along the strand

there's an answer in the storm

and it's a question

can you find your shining will to live

storm walker

yes

you're waking

yes

you're rising

yes

you're moving on

you can face the music

composing loving circles of your own

Vera Kelgart  (with chlorite coated crystal 'Sylph')  2016

connecting

straightening your back

stretching to the stars

breathing into the open

turning your sight to an inner shape

resembling your heart

relaxing your muscles inside this shape

imagining

you in your essentials

spiritual street clothes

capsleeved floral flannel red blue white

embroidered plaid shirt

with loose fit indigo jeans the colour of night

you're standing waist-deep in indigo space

connecting to the green world

through your floral work shirt

flower fractals sprouting through the plaid

this is your street spirituality

bringing health to the city

from the vast indigenous indigo

where dolphins are tugging playfully

at your umbilical cord like astronauts

to mother ship or a mother to the green world

drawing green from the planet humming

through deep strata of street

up through your soles jeans

beaming green through your heart shirt

health to the city

a childhood dream come true

emotional intelligence walking

soaking up the green life force through

windows in the ground to the sky

waking from these fugues

your mind is full of golden apples

your skin is clearer too

Vera Kelgart  (with enhydro amethyst crystal)  2016

misty

falling down on your futon

longing to retrieve yourself

seeking your median line

making it the center of peace and quiet

in the big heart you're tracing

with the pencil of your inner eye

connecting with all parts of your body

feeling at home in your own breathing

imagining

you in a grey mystery gown

with a train of thought by a misty water

a line of swans gliding along

one silver belt swan

twisted around your waist

holding the billowing grey together

you understand grey

wearing grey denim skirts

and grey cable knits

nondescript but classic

but this is different

crepe de chine like a non-stop rolling steam

or smoke in a mirror

as a child you were misty

never could choose a distinct colour

always favouring intangible grey

a uniting frequency

all and nothing

the rainbow's origin

you were different

but here in this place you click into place

trailing your mist for miles

in your grey swan shift

bare-shouldered elegant mystery

moving between worlds

you're helping people crippled by implants

of trauma or pain

little clawlike flashback videos

you're cleansing their minds with intangible grey

you're flying

steered by the swan belt's free wing

being timeless

then you sit up

feeling good but a bit dazed

you're in your denim skirt and cable knit

Vera Kelgart  (with window crystal 'Pearl')  2016

The work clothes of creativity

The Artist's Tool Poems are meant as inspiring examples of meditative imagery. Each poem is structured as a visualization meditation, starting with the person relaxing, breathing etc., then imagining.

I got the heart shape from Donna Eden's Three Heart Hook-up, an energy exercise for centering and nurturing yourself. In the context of the poem it's meant to show the visualization as 'heartfelt', a true meeting with an inner source of creativity.

The character's creative identity will express itself through a garment, naturalistic or fantastic. The person in the poem then becomes a purposeful creative agent on an inner scene.
It is possible to experience deep feelings of self through meditative imagery. But will the creative identity necessarily translate into garments, 'spiritual style'? No, not for all of us. But after all, clothes are a symbol of identity in the real world, so why not in the imaginary?

My own interest in this form of imagery was sparked around the millennium, when I attended a spiritual women's group. Visualizing ourselves as Avalon priestesses om a magic island, the woman guiding the meditations told us to prepare for 'a comprehensive wardrobe'. We were encouraged to imagine ourselves dressed in gossamer silk with gold trimmings. I loved it, but the funny thing is, none of those luxurious dresses has stayed with my inner self.

When meditating now, I visualize myself wrapped in a soft white velour bath towel, tied as a sarong. I guess I've just stepped out of the mountain spring!

belonging

sighing you're sinking into

the softness of your mind

closing your eyes lightly

keeping the light on

expanding your heart surrounding

life

imagining

you in your usual jeans

but instead of your t-shirt suddenly wearing

this coveted twill shirt the colour of sandshell

alighting on you like pixels assembling

to a people's feel-good shirt

brand new but washed inconspicuously

making you one of the crowd

drawing you near to humanity

an observer's work shirt

hungry for belonging

you're stalking them like a peaceful cougar

listening in

sensing the beat of their dreams

in the heat of their skin

milling about with the crowd

sampling scenarios but still as a statue

with wings when you're filled

with filmic impressions

digesting

soundtracks subtexts

a prince enchanted asleep

your solid twill shirt dissolving

pearly

ethereal

you'll wake up when words start singing

Vera Kelgart  (with self-healed Lemuria crystal)  2016

An explorers notebook

Having started the Artist's Tool Poems, I feel like an explorer finally beholding her magical continent. These poems, combining my interests in visualization, creativity and clothes, seem to be what I've been trying to write from the start - without knowing how to do it!
The poems are formed as visualization meditations (or 'focused reverie', to use a term from Belleruth Naparstek). The protagonists will meet and embrace their own creativity in a dreamlike state, put on, as it were, the work clothes of their inspirational universe. Maybe learning to enhance it or balance it in relation to everyday reality.
Personally, I've been meditating like this for some time, but only recently thought of it as a poetic template.

En opdagelsesrejsendes notesbog

Efter starten på Artist's Tool Poems føler jeg mig som en opdagelsesrejsende, der endelig skimter sit magiske kontinent. Disse digte, der kombinerer mine interesser for visualisering, kreativitet og tøj, synes at være de digte jeg hele tiden har forsøgt at skrive - uden at vide hvordan!
Digtene er formet som visualiserings-meditationer (eller 'focused reverie", for at bruge et udtryk fra Belleruth Naparstek). Hovedpersonerne møder og integrerer deres egen kreativitet, de ifører sig så at sige deres kreative arbejdstøj. Måske lærer de at styrke eller afbalancere deres inspirationsunivers i forhold til dagligdagens realiteter.
Jeg har selv mediteret på denne måde i et stykke tid. Men først nu er det faldet mig ind at bruge formen som en poetisk skabelon.
Efterhånden som mine ideer udvikler sig, vil jeg skrive mere om Artist's Tool Poems, men det vil blive på engelsk.

coming from nature

at dusk before sleep's blackout

you're feeling your own pulse

settling your thoughts

seeking the heart shape in your mind

letting go of tensions

imagining

you in the simplest jersey really

an apple green tank top

a long blue bell skirt

colours to be recognized universally

as coming from nature

meant to resuscitate and soothe

you can go everywhere

in your simple top and skirt

you're just people

dressed in the safe and cherished colours

of green apples and blue sky

repairing despair

awakening deep hope asleep

on the ocean floor

streaming oxytocinic pictures

as spiritual diamonds

to help the worriers of the world

pointing to baby elephants

saying eggs in the blackbird's nest

will be singing tomorrow

life is still alive

never give up

tomorrow may be better

never give up

new chance

get well

hold on

have faith

be cool

easier tomorrow

wait and see

without noticing you're slipping into sleep

in the morning you feel nourished

by the colour-coded pieces of your mind

the mumblings from your open dream hands

Vera Kelgart  (with chlorite coated crystal)  2016

thesaurus

slowing down

you reset yourself

opening your mind's eye

calmly breathing

encircling your body heartwise

imagining

you in a blue linen suit

slightly creased in the sumptuous way

of linen twill

jacket with lapels elegantly notched

big buttons mother-of-pearl

pants with natural linen sheen

woven rainbow around your waist

like a martial art belt

but words are your martial art

you're building a body of language

absorbing words like nutrients

into your muscles

strong standing tall alert

you're taking a stance yet relaxing

into that stance

of a world builder with words

connecting deep down

through ancient gold tiles

to your mothers and fathers

never chained to them but linking to them

your tribe

standing tall on earth feet

with passionate wordwise strength

embodying your body of language

with real power dressing

flax flower blue against cultural

gold tiles sky blue bricks

this is your stance

you're a live thesaurus

lifebuilding words with strong hands

spurting freshwater words from the fountain

of your archives

words are ways

you're always pointing in life's direction

future-proofing synonyms

empowering your people

humanity

after these training sessions

you'll want small talk

toned-down togetherness

Vera Kelgart  (with smoky elestial crystal)  2016

in the cloud

aligning yourself with the direct road to the sky

your spine a stem pointing upwards

you're tracing a big oval heart around yourself

breathing the heart

closing your eyes

imagining

you in your cloud sheath

that's your name for it

soft oyster white strapless wrap

knee-length maybe silk-like but softer

like breath sprinkled with twinkles

star-like sequins

usually you'll see stars in a clear sky

but these are stars in the cloud

and now there are voices

that'll be the children

you feel their hands grabbing your hands

all of your hands like you're a goddess

with many hands

they're holding on to you

holding on to the soft starry cloud

your slender frame is wrapped in

a party-like sheath but comfortable

puffy and soothing like soft dream beds

in bedtime stories for kids

you're transmitting this white fantasy shell

softness to the children of the world

they're coming to be near you

from all global corners

calling your name in their dreams

reaching for one of your many hands

you're the mother of hope and encouragement

the big sister of future laughter

your hands are their university

your cloud sheath the pillow they lean on

up in the air for a breather

during your working day you'll stop and pause

glimpsing the verdant globe moving

in a stream of light

Vera Kelgart  (with channeling Lemuria crystal)  2016

blue island watching

deep in your heart there's a door

you go through it

breathing the brisk breeze freely

focusing the lens of your inner eye

imagining

you in that pineapple yellow tankini

and your big kanga blowing like a sail

sky blue and white around your waist

on your blue island watching

over the glass blue waves

over the seagulls hang-gliding

in the turquoise horizon

like you're watching over

mother's milk of peace

undiluted strong child of the sun

welcoming all people seeking

the nourishing pineapple yellow joy

the blue and white universal pattern

of good thinking

relaxing at home in life

welcoming seekers of harmony

at home in your yellow tankini of youth

running across the sands with wide spread wings

of blue and white fine porcelain days

nourishing pineapple childhood years

of sight sound taste smell touch

protecting the sun in the island's midriff

embracing horizons but at home forever

a safe place in the world's memory

wrapped in your kanga the blue and white

of a clear island day

welcoming

trying to bring the island to everyday life

you're translating it into

a warm-hearted genius

Vera Kelgart  (with channeling Lemuria crystal)  2016