My father, artist Bruce MacGibeny, has been writing poetry for over 50 years. He writes poetry the way he paints: colorfully, energetically, and prolifically. When I lived at home with him and my mother, he was always writing poems between paintings and reading them aloud anytime he had an audience, us or anyone who called or visited. I did not realize how much he had written until I started typing his handwritten works about a year ago. Six hundred forty-four poems later I have transcribed a mere handful of his total poetic output. Boxes, bags, entire file cabinets of paper await. This will be a lifelong project.
Often, his poems are inspired by his paintings, and vice versa. At least once, he wrote his poem on a painting, and that is what we share in this introduction. A portfolio of his visual art is available at MacGibeny.com.
Bruce has asked me to help him share his work. As passionate as he is about creating, he has rarely sought to sell his work or have it otherwise recognized. But poetry to him is communication, and he wants both to speak and to provoke reactions in others. When someone asks him what a particular poem means, he asks, with great interest, “What does it mean to you?” We hope that any poetry lovers who happen across these poems find enjoyment and meaning in them.
POEM
The person . . .
Read the book
—
And the book . . . .
Read the person
They were actively engaged . . . . .
In an honest pursuit . .
—
The book spoke first
The person responded
Each played his part
—
When it was over,
Each went his way
—
The person
To his life
—
The book
To his home
On the shelf
—
Pages still warm
—
From the reader’s
Touch
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Artwork and poetry copyright 2008 Bruce MacGibeny. All rights reserved.
