{"id":3444,"date":"2013-08-12T08:50:59","date_gmt":"2013-08-12T13:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/?page_id=3444"},"modified":"2014-01-23T13:47:04","modified_gmt":"2014-01-23T19:47:04","slug":"roots-and-wings-2004","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/mac-gimse\/roots-and-wings-2004\/","title":{"rendered":"Roots and Wings, 2004"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"roots\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Striving for Peace: Roots of Change, Roots and Wings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sculpture and poetry for the NPPF, by mac gimse February 20-21, 2004
\nPresented to Jimmy Carter, Norwegian Nobel Peace Laureate, 2002
\nGro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway
\nand Director-General of the World Health Organization
\nEgoo Patel, Interfaith Youth Core; and FINCA
\n
\nThree sections have a total of six sides:<\/strong>
\n1. The first WING has fetal forms following an umbilical cord (umbilicus mundi ) into birth. On the opposite side children climb a rope (axis mundi) upward into community.
\n2. The second WING is for interdependence of family. On one side a woman holds a child and from the other a male figure reaches around to the woman and child. Clinging to his leg is a love-inspiring child (Putto).
\n3. The third WING has a young couple flying into partnership in the center. On the other side a figure stands on a shelter and roots grow up around him, a reference to ahimsa (non-violence) espoused by Bahubali in Jain culture. The female figure on his shoulders sprouts Pegasus-like wings, and with crescent hooves, taps a spring to water fragrant plants that deprive snakes of their venom.<\/p>\n

\n

WHOEVER WAKES UP TO A NEW CREATION SEARCHES FOR ITS ROOTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mothers cradle child on child,
\nand fathers search the fresh of earth,
\nto pass their hands of nurturing
\nthrough the springtime of our birth.<\/p>\n

The harmony of humans is heard
\nas discord against the sound of kisses
\nboldly on our cheek from newborn fugitives
\nwaking with their loud(ly) cries for freedom.<\/p>\n

The place for throwing sower\u2019s seeds
\nis fenced on soils to stand
\nwhere toils of feet are planted
\nbending life to living land.<\/p>\n

In childhood our deepest need is kinship,
\nhowever dear or distant, to fine-tune covenants
\nof decency that shape and savor
\nthe fruits of all our labor.<\/p>\n

We are here to sow the tilling seed,
\nstab fields through summer fires;
\nfeel roots deep digging downward,
\nwatching shoots loft into spires.<\/p>\n

Rubbing is the true feel of poverty,
\nbruising into community refugees
\nwithout shelter whose die-threads weave
\nour gift of life into their plea for solidarity.<\/p>\n

Throwers of the sowing seed
\nstride wing to wing in creation\u2019s dance
\nto harvest all that nature knows
\nis given by God\u2019s own chance.<\/p>\n

So stand, flesh-on-bones,
\nwake now you and all humanity,
\nto speak our single-throated story
\nthat beyond the stones which hold our walls,
\nwe are cradled, all and only,
\nby the sea.<\/p>\n

Stanza by stanza:<\/strong>
\n1. Our nation of immigrants began close to the soil (SEARCH THE FRESH OF EARTH), raising children (CRADLE CHILD ON CHILD and HANDS OF NURTURING) in this young nation (THE SPRINGTIME OF OUR BIRTH.<\/p>\n

2. A fugitive cannot return to its place of origin (HARMONY OF HUMANS IS HEARD AS DISCORD). A newborn is a fugitive from the womb, so children try to stay near their place of origin (KISSES BOLDLY ON OUR CHEEK) to find their voice (CRIES FOR FREEDOM), and take their place as world citizens.<\/p>\n

3. Each family sets its space (PLACE FOR THROWING SOWER\u2019S SEEDS) for building a nest and staking out a claim (FENCED ON SOILS) for growth and security (TO STAND WHERE TOILS OF FEET ARE PLANTED). Hard work and honesty help to shape an ethical person (BENDING LIFE TO LIVING LAND).<\/p>\n

4. Children need family (OUR DEEPEST NEED IS KINSHIP) to teach them values and offer them rewards (HOWEVER DEAR OR DISTANT), exercise discipline and pursue dreams (FINE-TUNE COVENANTS OF DECENCY), show them how to work (THE FRUITS OF ALL OUR LABOR) and how to play (SHAPE AND SAVOR).<\/p>\n

5. Our future rests with young people (SOW THE TILLING SEED), training them to take responsibility for themselves and others (FEEL ROOTS DEEP DIGGING DOWNWARD). Youth is a time of discovering (STAB FIELDS THROUGH SUMMER FIRES) where sacrifice is necessary to achieve equality and respect for all people (WATCHING SHOOTS), with a global vision (LOFT INTO SPIRES).<\/p>\n

6. We must pay attention to those who live in deprivation (RUBBING IS THE TRUE FEEL OF POVERTY). When they lose their dignity (BRUISING INTO COMMUNITY), we lose ours as well. They will die with only the garments on their backs (\u2026DIE-THREADS) without someone to care for them (WEAVE OUR GIFT OF LIFE). Programs such as Habitat for Humanity give them a new franchise for living (INTO THEIR PLEA FOR SOLIDARITY).<\/p>\n

7. Those who sow the seeds of life (THROWERS OF THE SOWING SEED) combine their resources (STRIDE WING TO WING) and move together (IN CREATION\u2019S DANCE) to sustain community (HARVEST ALL). Nature and humans create both good and destructive forces (ALL THAT NATURE KNOWS) but we strive to heal the world and seek moral guidance (GIVEN BY GOD\u2019S OWN CHANCE).<\/p>\n

8. We search for a unifying voice (SO STAND FLESH-ON-BONES) for society (WAKE NOW YOU AND ALL HUMANITY) to build a dwelling place for all faiths and nations, ethnic groups and cultures (TO SPEAK OUR SINGLE-THROATED STORY). Our wealth of resources and concern for people in the whole world are the foundations of our society (BEYOND THE STONES) that unite people on common ground (WHICH HOLD OUR WALLS). Oceans separate continents, but the waters join us together (WE ARE CRADLED) on our seamless planet (ALL AND ONLY BY THE SEA).<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Striving for Peace: Roots of Change, Roots and Wings Sculpture and poetry for the NPPF, by mac gimse February 20-21, 2004 Presented to Jimmy Carter, Norwegian Nobel Peace Laureate, 2002 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":0,"parent":3437,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3444","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3444\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/art\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}