Words are changeable things with properties like numbers. Words and numbers take on different faces and different values depending on how they develop and what their context is. Words are continuous shapeshifters. Within the mind of a writer, words are a constant presence - hiding, peeking, teasing; seeking to be discovered, revealed, valued, and placed artfully into expression. Words are slippery entities, daring us to catch them and make them behave - be exact within contents, creating the mood, tone, and metaphor we desire.
The title Unwrapped refers to the desire to reveal those qualities of words - unwrapping their essence to fit and extend, to spark and to blend in order to communicate meaningfully.
Yet the title Unwrapped also refers to the collection of poems that expose the various values of what has been discovered in that unwrapping, presenting not only the unwrapping of words, but also the unwrapping of experiences.
Poetry is the perfect art form for unwrapping essences of experience because poetry was created so the story of mankind could be memorized, recited, passed on - enabling us to recall the profound. Poetry is the art of remembering, connecting us intimately, reminding us we are never alone. The experience of the past is the experience of the now is the experience of the future. Nothing is separate. We are connected to all that has ever been, is now, and will be.
Words are powerful, but actions are even more so. Beware those who think they can fool The People. We are poets in our very beings. We will unwrap and expose. That is the power and purpose of our art.
About the Author
Anne Marie Erskine lives with her husband Jim in Prescott, Arizona. She has a Master of Arts in the Humanities from the California State University.
Unwrapped is Anne Marie's third book of published poetry. Shadow Dance and Insight are the titles of her other books.
