Pictures and Words

​They say a picture is worth one thousand words. Mostly I agree with that statement. But if you have looked at the book, “These Trees,” I think you will agree that the pictures have also been enhanced by the words they are paired with. I have had a few people ask me, “How did you ever find so many poems that fit perfectly with your photos?”
 
How indeed! First, I already knew Carol Pearce Bjorlie and had collaborated with her on a previous project we called “Poemscapes” where we had combined some of her poems with a slide show I made of my photographs that illustrated her poems.  Two of those poems, Dialogue and These Trees also found their way into the book. I liked These Trees so well that it seemed natural to use it as the title of the book. Carol contributed two more poems to the book, Green Cathedral and Here – Autumn.  

To see those Poemscape slide shows you can go to YouTube and search for:
“Poemscapes Dialogue Between Mountains”  
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8QKVjQTMsg
or find poem “These Trees” on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/HrKGHtXVgOo
 
There are 19 other poets represented in this book. Two of them, Jean Cassidy and Annelinde Metzner, I know socially, or perhaps I should say musically as I have sung with both of them. Kate Stockman I had met at a retreat. The other 16 I found by posting a “Call for Poetry Submissions” on the Creative Writers Opportunities List. The posting was answered by over 90 poets submitting a few hundred poems.
 
I was amazed myself at the perfect matches I found: Paperbark Maple, by Sally Zakariya, when I already had photos of a Paperbark Maple; Redbud, by Annelinde Metzner, when I already had a photo of a Redbud tree; and Crone Oak by Kate Stockman when I already had photos of beautiful old live oaks taken in Jacksonville, Florida. But many other pairings between poem and photos sprang readily to mind and those were the ones placed into the book.