Frances-Ann Norton: Poetry

The Change Part 10: Objectness, Second Iteration She needed certainty. A repeated path well worn. Security, reiteration, peace, comfort. All this she found in her singular pattern. Nineteenth century American quilt block pattern In nine patch formation. Linked to an object A time, a state of being A Southern-Bible-Belt state, cardinal red. Connected to objectness Theoretical object Dream object (the chair) The dream-state-trance she hypnotised herself into Astral travel across 5000 miles, every night to be with the one she loved. The pattern has many names The construct is half square triangles set in opposition. Imagine a chess board kitchen floor In a Medieval villa in Perugia or Assisi Frescos on the wall Warm dry Fragrant with olive, mint, rosemary, dog. Imagine this chess board Dark and light tiles in opposition to each other, perfect balance. Then imagine each tile sliced diagonally left to right, right to

The Change Part 9: Objectness Twined and intertwined The objectness in her life has refrained. Like a song, she may come back to it later in the music. Making, crafting, shaping. Her time of objects is on pause, halted. In her dream a very specific chair blocks my thoughts To other things Yet wood is not my medium, my raw material. Structure, design, presence, desirability The tools and processes of wood work Although pleasing in themselves as object in their own right, Devoid of purpose Are not it. Do not give her the joy she seeks. Not sure what does. She found refuge in the flat. Incomprehensible. Through her weeks, months, half a year of her Recuperation It was not objects She turned to for diversion But painting. She filled her sketchbook day after day with pattern. And narrowed it down. And narrowed it down. To a single repeated ornament. In the simplest of motifs. A square, with two lines running