Carmen T. Bernier-Grand - "I am God"

“I am God”
by
Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

“God is really another artist.
He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat.
He has no style. He just keeps trying other things.”
Picasso paints late into the night, an owl his only companion.

When Picasso has emptied himself of painting, he draws,
when he has emptied himself of drawing, he makes ceramics,
when he has emptied himself of ceramics, he makes prints,
when he has emptied himself of print making, he sculpts,
when he has emptied himself of sculpturing, he illustrates,
when he has emptied himself of illustrating, he photographs,
when he has emptied himself of photographing, he writes poems,
when he has emptied himself of writing poems, Picasso paints.
“I am God…I am God…I am God.”

From Pablo Picasso: Yo el rey, I the King, illustrated by David Diaz (Marshall Cavendish, spring 2012)

© Carmen T. Bernier-Grand. All rights reserved.

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Well, now, I can't speak for you, but that excerpt sure makes me anxious for Carmen T. Bernier-Grand's upcoming book on Picasso. The use of a quote by her real-life subject as a launching point for a glimpse further into Picasso's psyche creates a powerful, inviting, almost hypnotic poem. And did I mention it makes me want to read the book? Yeah. It does.

This is not the first biography Carmen T. Bernier-Grand has done, nor the first artist she's explored, nor is it the first time she's been here (nor her first collaboration with David Diaz, for that matter). And if you've read her other books, fiction or non-fiction, the power of her words and images won't be any surprise to you. And if you haven't... well... go check 'em out and then you'll know why I'm so happy to have her here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday, we had Chess by David L. Harrison. Up next, Backstory - an excerpt by Calef Brown! For more information on 30 Poets/30 Days and how to follow along, please click here.