The Spirit Sensed Through Photos

The culture code which lies for me
In “native spirituality”
Is “forthright authenticity” –
Speaks from my childhood life with Cree.

The code for my “photography”
Is “mystic process” which could be
A “ritual”, both words will do
In making photo-pix for you.

It’s not a jump of much a stretch,
To see the inter-mix and yet
There is a factor in the change
Which digital has rearranged.

For darkroom tents, collodion plates,
And wagoned labs, which portrait makes,
Seemed voodoo to the hoi polloi –
Now Photoshop’s done by a boy –

Or girl who thinks, “It’s simple, man,
Just click and drag a layer – plan?
No way – just step right up and do –
Tutorial I'll post for you”.

So “mystic process”, “ritual”
Is gone – and with tutorial
We all can make a photo look
Far better than is seen in books.

But “forthright authenticity”
Is still intact, at least for me –
As code for native side of Christ
That phrase for me depicts it right.

But say the mystic side as well
For photographs returned, to tell
The average bloke, “It’s voodoo, man,
Though sparkle’s added through a man” –

What then? Would all be set to rights?
Would culture-codes engage, not fight
Each other – intermix and say
A “mystic authenticity’s –

Conveyed to all quite forthrightly;
By ritual – photography
Speaks truth to each, for bridge is formed;
’Cross culture’s chasm work’s performed”?

Such artifacts, produced by me,
Would let each culture’s treasures be
Conveyed, despite the silliness
Which keeps both cultures from the best –

The other has to share – because
I’d travel there and learn what was
The best, strip down authentically,
And share such truth in forthright way [].

One side would look and say, “That’s true;
We think like that; that’s what we do.”
The other side would then proclaim,
“That’s cool by any other name”.

For Babel’s walls are best left up,
And culture-crossing left as rough,
So we slow down, don’t trash the place –
Give God some time to take his place –

At center of our lives today;
Turn flow of cash the other way,
From in to out, like power’s role;
But still such treasures all would know.

“Eight hours a day photography
Enables me to future see
In any, all, activity” –
The word He spoke that day to me.

So, pump up process; learn the ropes;
Get good once more; no longer grope
Through world of digits, pixels, prints –
Get up to speed – a light-room prince.

Show forthright authenticity;
Through digital; no longer be
So open, so that process can
Be seen as that by mystic man.

A little of the mystery
Is good – it asks that people be
More vigilant, alert, and view
With eyes attuned, O Lord, to You.

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