“Why Did I Have to Show You My Boat?”

Art in Dialogue workshop participants gathered at the

Gallery with facilitator Cara Modisett. 

The assignment:

Create a written response to one of the

pieces in Aggie Zed's exhibit "Etceteras" .

The prompt:

Does this piece remind you of a place you know?

Below is Ollie Schiedler's answer 

I think of island magic — dunehills and
marsh grasses. Of pelicans in the harbor
and rust-red sunsets. My father in a boat,
my mother in the sun. The ivy-covered
graveyard in the back of the AirBnB.
Seasalt fills your lungs and you drown
standing up, calves patterned in jellyfish
nettles, red streaks that pull you back under.
I think of the darkness in the water next to
me, the cartilaginous fin tips and their short
companionship. I don’t think of sharp teeth
and bloody maws because that’s not true,
but this is. The air and water all in one
breath, as above, so below. The kelp
breathes with me, speaks its song of quiet
sand and shocking waves.

-Ollie Scheidler