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Sapient Soul (Marlanda Dekine) has invited the audience to join her creative process as they reflect on Job 10:10-12:8 to create "Diptych: Unpacking the Self," the first poem in a collection as Spark+Echo Arts' 2020 Artist in Residence.
Job 10:10-12:8
2020 Artist in Residence: Marlanda Dekine
By
Marlanda Dekine
Note: Parts of the artist’s work contain strong language and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Credits:
Curated by:
2020
Poetry/Spoken Word
Primary Scripture
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Sapient Soul's project FREE/WRITE will engage the Bible with stillness, spontaneity, and automatic writing. Videos will demonstrate steps 1-5 outlined below:
Poet meditates with Insight Timer app or in silence. The guided meditation used in this video is by Naomi Goodlet.
Poet turns to a random page in the Bible.
Poet chooses a passage that has not been illuminated.
Poet writes, without the pen leaving the page, for a minimum of five minutes. This is automatic writing or a free-write.
Poet edits the free-write into poetry.
You are encouraged to choose a book and join Sapient Soul at home. Try it for yourself.
Unpacking The Self as reflection on Job 10:10-Job 12:8 considers how difficulty can harden us to ourselves and others. Wanting connection, we can push others away. Desiring to be seen, we can fear knowing ourselves.
Spaces of anger and victimhood ought to be visited as friends within us. Sometimes, I have become comfortable and stayed a bit too long. Even, built a home there once. Ha! May we have a friend that listens well as we unpack and let ourselves free again. May we listen when a difficult truth about ourselves is shown to us. May we express thanks for how there is so much healing available to us across space and time, through darkness and light. Ase.
From the photos above:
While Job was telling, I laughed. I cried from the right side of my right eye. One year setting there like an early Dawn. I could hear Job like I've heard myself. Complaining like it will build new mountains. New worlds. How he was in pain. How pain can turn you in on yourself. Take you to prison even after abolition wins. Take you into a cell-membraned wall of blood and gut, take you inside of yourself & you become prisoner and guard, recounting all the terrible--so if any bit of light comes for you--be doomed be doomed be doomed fuck light is what you say while your soul shines bright you say you say I've said so much & meant so little to myself I I I Wanted to mean everything I said I desired beauty & I drummed the beat of pain like my ownNew recordAre you recording this--the way the wind can snap everything into place I know now that every pain I ever knew I needed& How after we've torn at our skin our eyes our own lips broken & dry--how when the water comes for us do we act like we weren't listening to the flow--how do we lie like that & where does it go? Truth my friend requires dirt of you.
Spark Notes
The Artist's Reflection
Marlanda Dekine-Sapient Soul (she/her/they) is a poet and social worker from Plantersville, South Carolina. She is pursuing her MFA in Poetry with New York University's Low-Residency program in Paris.
Learn more about their work at sapientsoul.com.
Marlanda Dekine
About the Artist
Getting Lighter
Know Thyself
Marlanda Dekine
Other Works By
Related Information
i
wanted to
build new
Diptych: Unpacking the Self
by Marlanda Dekine
I.
i
wanted to
build new
worlds
from pain
imprison
myself
cell-membraned
walls
of blood and gut
i said so much
meant so little
to myself
i
i
i
drummed my pain
new
new
now I 'm
cardinal red
wind snap-
ping smiles
i know now
every pain i ever knew
was what i needed
so how when
dark water
returns
can i act like
i didn 't call her here
her precious
obsidian hard
cypress of fathomage
to make me ready
II.
when you listen
to the color
yellow with
the volume
up
hear a choir
of chaos
don 't change
channels
wait for
the moment
of mirrors
wait for
yellow to turn
purple
for the crown
of laughter
to enter
for anger
to melt
fear
friendship
to shake
you
until you
are sensing
god:
green.
soft.
woman.
from PROJECT FREE/WRITE #1
The Free/Write
by Marlanda Dekine
while job was yelling, I laughed. I cried from
the right side of my right eye. one tear
setting there like an early dawn. I could hear
Job like I 've heard myself. Complaining like
it will build new mountains, new worlds. How
he was in pain. how pain can turn you in
on yourself. Take you to prison even after
abolition wins. Take you into a cell
membraned
wall of blood and gut, take you inside
of yourself and you become prisoner and
guard, recounting all the terrible—so if
any bit of light comes for you—
be doomed be doomed be doomed
fuck light is what you say while your
soul shines bright you say you say I 've
said so much and meant so little
to myself I I I
wanted to mean everything I said
I desired beauty and I drummed
the beat of pain like my own
new record
are you recording this?—the way the
wind can snap everything into place
I know now that every pain I
ever knew I needed and how
could I smile any less, Job?
how after we 've torn at our skin
our eyes our own lips broken
and dry—how when the water
comes for us do we
act like we weren 't listening
to the flow—how do we
lie like that and where does
it go? Truth, my friend,
requires dirt of you.
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i
wanted to
build new
