refelection to thee

oh what i wouldn't do to be held in your arms
like restless wind whistling outside in the drifts of snow
memories plowed through the streets so empty
my mind confronted with tunes of sorrowful solitude
oh what i wouldn't give to lay my head onto a bed
whose springs supported our love so gentle
under nights forsaken path
where neither head nor toe knows which way we will go
the smell of your skin still settled in my sheets from not too long ago
where fermenting words still linger in your absence
for what i wouldn't do to hear you whisper i feel the same way too
and heed the mistakes that never came to pass
for we were a memory i never thought time would outlast

Poem for Sorrow

He left his fingerprints behind as evidence he had been here.
Scraping the reminder of his kiss from my tongue with the back of his lips.
How I longed for another one.
Pillows stacked in the drift of tangled bedsheets.
Warmth emanating from his flesh.
Mine curved into the pits and slopes of his side like a feeble kitten. Smitten.
His absence a scare.
Tears melding the nights shut.
I wish despair were a fortitude of I love you's, that way I could ignore his silence.
Metal scorching our ears like hot soup. Stealthily.
My appetite preceding the loss of his touch.

face value

what is the face value of art? i dont feel like people take into the same consideration the handmanship of fine arts as they do graphic arts. why is this? you are sure to make more money sitting behind a computer "making art" than using a paintbrush and paint on canvas. this baffles me. the digital age has desensitized peoples ideas of art. art is no longer skill and technique but rather advertising. who can sell an image faster and more efficiently. this saddens me

sculpting

when i was NYU getting my filling fixed by a dental student, i talked to the dentist, as i am sure most people do when they get work done on their mouth. for that matter, i think talking in general is common with any doctor. the doctor upon hearing that i went to school for art, said he wanted to see my art. i gave this no mind as most people say this in passing once they hear that your an artist. its normal. the difference here is, he brought this up multiple times while working on my teeth. sometimes at points where i could not respond because my mouth was pried open so he could reach the molar in the far back.... not fun. my mouth is tiny. amusingly he said 'i am a sort of artist as well. i sculpt'. staring at him, because there is no other place to look aside from maybe nostrils, i gave a perplexed look so he could elaborate.... 'i sculpt teeth, there is a sort of art to that no?'. even with my mouth ajar, i smiled and gave a slight nod. maybe he is right. maybe perception is a major part of art. society decides what is and what is not art just as much as the artist themselves.

to be an artist...

Do you have to be good at drawing to be a good artist? one of my sisters always tells me that she "can not draw". i always tell her that she doesnt need to draw well in order to be a good artist. aside from that fact, i think she can draw better than she claims she can. i think the idea behind the image is more important than the skill. yes, the skill is important and can be imperitive to the design but it is not the end all and be all of the artists vision. take picasso for instance. he paints woman with 3 breasts and eyes where their noses should be...his skill is not defined by how accurate he is able to paint the human form but rather the concept of the human anatomy. even an artist like Cy Twombly who is one of my personal favorites, paints with so called scribbly lines deceptively like a child...i can't tell you how many people i hear say, "i could do that". but i beg to differ. No you couldn't. Cecily brown is another artist with whom i love..her images are hidden behind smudged lines and scratched lines. these artists define art by execution and subject, and skill...no one more of an artist or less of one because they do not create art that looks like a photograph like Dega or Cassat, both of whose art i adore as well.
so what makes an artist an artist? is it merely a self proclaimed label one gives to themselves or is it one given by society. how important is it to be able to paint realistically. and if it is not important to know how to create on paper something that is visibly recognizable why do so many art schools put emphasis on this in the classroom?

Social Studies

As i was in class yesterday...(i am getting my masters to be an elementary school teacher)...i was thinking about how social studies has influenced my art. This would seem relatively normal except that the idea of social studies and how it applies to the classroom is broken down into skill, concept and content. I started to evaluate the way in which i broke down current events and past events (ie. history) and how i incorporated all these ideas into my paintings and my poetry. what skills did i use to break the ideas up. what correlations were fused together when i went through the file cabinet in my head. it is really something spectacular to think about.

Pantoum

I'm obsessed with writing pantoums. I can't really tell you wy but I am determined to write a good one. I have not been sucessful with this quest yet but I will be. It is only a matter of time.. here is my most recent one...



I speak of love like it’s my alibi
Accused of stealing hours as I stared straight into heavens gates
I tell you, good love is captured with immeasurable time spent wrapped in his arms
I whisper I love you’s in my head as we make love

Accused of stealing hours as I stared straight into heavens gates
Locked in a prison of failed relationships, unsure of how this one will end
I whisper I love you’s in my head as we make love
Treasonous words used against adulterous culprits

Locked in a prison of failed relationships, unsure of how this one will end
I tell you, good love is captured with immeasurable time spent wrapped in his arms
Treasonous words used against adulterous culprits
I speak of love like it’s my alibi

Van Duzer Literary Readings

I will be reading this Saturday July 17, 2010 at Van Duzer Days. Come out and listen to poetry !

1:30 p.m.: North Shore Reading Room– Sponsored by Staten Island Creative Hub with set supplied by Ira’s Curiosity Place and Silas.

Readers:
Thomas Fucaloro
John Casquerelli
Kyoko Heshiimu
Douglas Schwartz
Robin Locke Monda
Eric Alter
Mike Castellani
Keri English
Tejan Green
Followed by Open Mic
More readers to come.
Statenislandcreativehub.com

http://vanduzerdays.wordpress.com/

Van Duzer Street, between Beach and Wright streets, will be closed to driving traffic on Saturdays, July 3rd, 10th, 17th, & 24th 2010 from 12 noon until 8 at night allowing pedestrians to enjoy a range of summer activities on an open city street free from cars.
Live music featuring the best Stapleton-based acts will highlight the evenings from 4 p.m. until the event closes. Stay tuned for the exciting official announcements of lineups starting at the end of May 2010. In addition, the Island’s favorite DJs will spin earlier in the afternoons.
Large-scale participatory presentations are being planned for each of the Saturdays according to theme. More details will be announced soon.
Kids programs will also be offered thru out the day at Van Duzer Summer Streets. Artists are encouraged to email mailto:info@sicolab.org to participate and get more information.
The Van Duzer-Beach Street district in Stapleton is home to a thriving and growing community of more than a thousand artists. Recognized as the counter-cultural center of Staten Island, it has become a notable hub for live music and an incubator for new bands and innovative projects. The neighborhood attracts visual and performance artists, photographers, film makers, literati, and everything in between.
The district’s commerce is comprised mostly of independently owned small businesses that work hand in hand with the local artists. The main businesses include: Martini Red, The Cup, Vida Restaurant, Ira’s Curiosity Shop, Bent Pages Book Store, Mood Swings Vintage Shop, Glen Glass, Mi Jessa, Wine Life and Los Catcharachos.

If you would like to contact me, you can reach me at:

dragonmomi8@hotmail.com

vernal variations

http://www.statenislandcreativecommunity.org/sicc/ART_at_Bay_ARCHIV_1./Pages/Koyoko_Heshiimu.html#0


to view a slide of art i had on display @ art at bay in april 2010 in the vernal variations exhibit

99.5 WBAI Midnight Ravers 12midnight to 3 am

On Friday June 3, 2010 tune into 99.5 fm WBAI on the radio at 12am-3am and listen to the Midnight Ravers an hear me read my poem "The color of suspicion" over the air!
You can stream the show at http://www.wbai.org/ .

If you missed the show, go to archived shows July 3rd Shared Time Slot/Midnight Ravers 12am and press play. Scroll to 2 hours (2:00:00).

Bless,
Eko

Waiting for the surge to hit

In the process of assembling my thoughts for new work. Hoping to publish officially by the end of the summer. Only time will tell.

Feature Poet

1022 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn NY • 718 940 2084

Mike Fiorito and Addie Hope host Spoken Word @ Vox Pop Cafe in Brooklyn on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 where I will be a featured poet, alongside Jane Ormond. It will run from 5-7 pm. Open mic will also be held as well. Please come in and have a couple drinks and enjoy some spoken word and share a poem or two if you have.

Hope to see everyone there!!!

Alor Cafe

Last night I read at an open mic on staten island. It was so much fun. I wish I could do this for a living... now that i have become acclamated to Staten Island, i dont want to leave right away. my creativity is flourishing and i missed this side of me. it completes me.

art for art sake

i am not sure if this will make sense to anyone but here it goes. am i just making art for art sake or is there a real purpose? a friend of mine told me that i create art because it is my passion. i find this odd seeing how it was not me making the statement but an outsider "observing" my actions as such. i have written stories and poems, painted, taken photos, created art in any way that would convey the ideas that were floating in my head and make them legible to those i came in contact with... so am i creating art for art sake? am i creating art because it is my passion. i think i teeter on the fact that art is a form of therapy for my soul and constantly begs me to spill my guts ... it just transpires as art..hmmm..something to think about at least while i tediously mull over projects.

Bio

I have read my poetry at open mics for about 2 years now. I have read at Cornelia Street Cafe, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, The Nightingale, Vox Pop, Art at Bay, and even held a one woman reading of my work at my sisters apartment for friends and family. I am currently preparing to self publish a collection of my poems which has been in the works for about a decade now.
I have been creating art as far as I can remember. I took a hyatus for about a decade after I gave birth to my daughter. when I returned, I came back more ambitious than ever. I have been apart of 3 group art shows in less than 2 years. i was offered to be a feature poet at Vox Pop but the show has been cancelled because of taxes. i still feel very honored that i was asked to participate as a headliner. Art and writing are my passion. They are a part of me.
Currently i am studying to get my Masters in Elementary Education. I am hoping to use my creative outlookon life to influence children and help them learn in the same way i have taught my own daughter by encouraging them to keep an open mind at all times of the endless posibilities your imagination can unfold.

History of me...

Education:

Fiorello H. Laguardia H.S. 1997

Pratt Institute 2003


Exhibitions:

Columbia University New York, NY: Time Capsule
1996 - 3D sculpture

Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY: The Jack and Jill Series
December 2002 - installation

6th Street Community Center New York, NY : Summer Wine and Cheese Exhibition
September 2008- mixed media

Eastern District Brooklyn, NY: Plenty of Room on the couch
June 2009 - Paintings

Art at Bay Staten Island, NY: Vernal Variations
April 2010- Decades of Silence: Paintings

Decade of Silence

Artist Statement:

The work on display focuses on women healing and coping from trauma. The intension is to have the images open the lines of communication and provide a voice for individuals who are survivors and are not always heard. The pieces provide a source of therapy for the viewer and those who have been affected from such pain. This silent communication is a source of understanding that is captured in the strength of the women in each painting. The colors, shapes and patterns are heavily influenced by concepts of Yoga, Buddhism, Tibetan,Hindi culture and the nurturing effects of Mother Nature.

The titles of each piece are pulled from music, poems, and prose written by the artist.

Art at Bay Exhibition: Vernal Variations

These are the some of the paintings i had on display for April's show.my series is called "Decade of Silence" These paintings are about healing and coping from trauma.

St George Day

Come celebrate art and literary!!

I will be reading poetry at St. George day on Saturday April 24th at Tompkinsville Park on Bay Street between Victory and Hannah.

http://www.etgstores.com/bookcafe/stgeorgeday.html

Upcoming Events!!!

ART at Bay Group Art Show
Vernal Variations
Opening Reception Saturday April 3, 2010
70 Bay Street Staten Island, NY 10301 One block from the staten island ferry terminal

Exhibition is open from April 2-25

Gallery Hours:
Fri 5-8pm
Sat noon-6pm
Sun noon-6pm

There are eight exhibiting artists. Everyones art is of varying mediums and topics. the work I will have on display,is part of a series titled "Decade of Silence" and deals with coping and healing from trauma. There are 18 new acrylic paintings on canvas. i have 22 paintings in the show total!

April is sexual assault awareness month! I implore you all to Speak up and Speak out against sexual violence!

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Vox Pop Cafe Spoken Word
1022 Cortelyou Rd Brooklyn NY
Hosted by Mike Fiorito and Addie Hopes
Feature Poet: Kyoko Heshiimu
Sunday May 2, 2010
5-7pm

Cancelled!!!!
Due to the establishment failing to pay taxes, the cafe is temporarily closed! sorry everyone...

There is a 2 drink minimum for all who attend.

There is an open mic. approx 20 poets will be allowed to sign up and read. 3-5 minutes given to each person who signs up depending on time.
As the feature, I will be reading for 15-20 minutes!

Hope to see you there!

Port-Au-Prince

Port-Au-Prince





Chita, Chita (sit, sit)
Rest your feet
For your heart is trembling and your breath is weak
In the wake of grave defeat
My spirit weeps


Fè ba, Fè ba (kiss, kiss)
Your nation left dispersed on hands and knees
Clawing through stones with bare hands
Desperate to salvage those in arms reach
Their sounds of distress heard in prayers and
Chanting song through the night to comfort thee


Port-Au-Prince
A sea of lost souls scattered at your feet
Families left aloof as they stare at heavens gate
Mothers reflecting on the birth of their children
Now angels in their path


Chita, Chita (sit, sit)
You’ve made it though
Take a deep breath through all the debris
We still have much to do
As scores of civilians still lie buried beneath the rubble in the streets
No water, no food, no relief
Stone slabs entrapping limbs
The smell of decaying corpses filling their lungs
Time is closing in


Fè ba, Fè ba (kiss, kiss)
A sorrow bringing unity to the divided
A toll of innumerous proportions
Reported by new age twitter updates and facebook stats
Stumbling in the dark on a beaten path
Bodies soiling the ground with blood from both the living and the dead


The night engulfing the pitch black with gunshots of panic
Escaped convicts roaming the streets free
Contaminated water threatening an epidemic
Surging through self made manholes
That sweep the same slabs of stone used for sleep
Neighbors cuddling what remains of the homes they once occupied
Burning tires lighting up the night, preserving diesel fuel


Chita, Chita (sit, sit)
Conserve your energy
The quake has pillaged the infrastructures that housed the strong
But not their determination to rescue and restore what little they can of hope
Heroic in their struggle
Loved ones entombed as they rush against time
The bereaved sobbing with angst
Generous and kind as they assist those voices that cry


Fè ba, Fè ba (kiss, kiss)
Thy neighbor, who sheds tears by your side
Makeshift tents spread before your eyes, to offer comfort for the tired
Leery expectations of survival
Trapped behind impassable roads and damaged docks
Clogged airways needed to reach the critically sick
Looming the headlines of a shaken city
With Obama’s promise from America:
“Haiti will not be foresaken”