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Sunshine Dixon is fast becoming one of Portland's sought
after emerging artists. Her powerful works represent the places where she
lived, worked, and played: the South; northwestern cities, principally Portland
and Seattle; and the Bahamas. Religious subjects, jazz clubs and women are
overlapping themes in her work. Sunshine also makes forays into abstraction,
with dance associations, and themes of motherhood.
Her exhibition, the first retrospective of her work explores
the complexity and scope of Sunshine's art. It includes not only the watercolors,
gouaches but collages and photomontages for which she has only brushed
the surface.
Sunshine's poetry book "No
Illusions" a second-edition release is for sale: $10, at Nappy Roots
Press, www.nappyrootspress.com/bookstore.htm
| Sunshine's
Poetry Selection |
NO
ILLUSIONS
by Sunshine Dixon Copyright ©2002
I KNOW, I’M
NOT PROMISED TOMORROW
I BRUSH WITH ETERNITY EVERYDAY
FACE TO FACE WITH MY CREATOR
I MAY BE ONE STEP AWAY
BUT EACH SECOND, MINUTE, AND HOUR REVEALS
THE SEED OF POTENTIAL IN ME
IF I STAY PLANTED IN THE LORD
I’LL FULFILL MY DESTINY
THERE’S AN OCEAN IN EACH DROP OF WATER
THERE’S A FOREST IN EVERY TREE
THERE’S A NATION IN EVERY BABY BORN
THERE’S POTENTIAL INSIDE OF ME
EVERY PERSON I MEET IS IMPORTANT
EVERYONE HAS A TREASURED SEED
THAT FIRMLY PLANTED AND WATERED
CAN GROW INTO A TREE
I CONTRIBUTE MY TIME TO NEW VENTURES
TO SUPPLY AN IDEA OR TWO,
THREE TIMES A YEAR, I VOLUNTEER
AND STAY ALL THE WAY THROUGH
I WORK WITH WOMEN AND FAMILIES,
SPEND TIME ON CANCER ISSUES
MENTOR AND TEACH SMALL CHILDREN
WHO LIVES OFTEN TEACH ME, TOO
I SHARE MY FOOD WITH THE HUNGRY
WHO HASN’T BEEN HUNGRY BEFORE?
OR NEEDED DESPERATELY TO GET A NEW JOB
AND COULDN’T GET THROUGH THE DOOR
SHARING WON’T GIVE ME STATUS
IN THIS EVER CHANGING LAND
OR MAKE ME SOMETHING SPECIAL
BECAUSE MONEY CAME THROUGH MY HANDS
TO LIVE WITH NO ILLUSIONS
ONE MUST CHALLENGE MISTAKEN PERCEPTIONS AND MISCONCEPTIONS,
TO LIVE WITH NO ILLUSIONS
ONE MUST UNDERTAKE PERSONAL INSPECTION
TO LIVE WITH NO ILLUSIONS
ONE MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE
TO LIVE WITH NO ILLUSIONS
ONE MUST FORGIVE AND RELEASE PAIN
TO CREATE A NEW REALITY
AND USE INDIVIDUALITY
TO EFFECT THE COMMON MAN
WITH THE SKILLS AND TALENTS IN YOUR HANDS
TO POUR OUT THE POSSIBILITIES BOTTLED UP INSIDE
TO POUR OUT POTENTIAL POETRY AND BOOKS YOU WANT TO WRITE
TO GO FISHING IN ALASKA, OR CLIMB THE MOUNTAINS HIGH
TO LEARN NEW ROMANCE LANGUAGES, OR EVEN HOW TO FLY
TO SHARE FOOD WITH A STRANGER
EVEN IF IT’S JUST SOME RICE
TO READ BOOKS TO LITTLE CHILDREN
OR DO SOMETHING VERY NICE
TO POUR OUT YOUR MONEY, TIME, TALENT
AND ALL I’VE LISTED UP ABOVE
IF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT ENOUGH
THEN TRY POURING OUT YOUR LOVE
TAKE PART IN YOUR COMMUNITY
WHO KNOWS WHAT YOUR QUEST WILL BE?
MAYBE WHEN YOU DIE, UNDER REST IN PEACE
YOUR TOMBSTONE WILL SAY
DIED EMPTY
THERE’S AN OCEAN IN EACH DROP OF WATER
THERE’S A FOREST IN EVERY TREE
THERE’S A NATION IN EVERY BABY BORN
THERE’S POTENTIAL INSIDE OF ME
Change
by Sunshine Dixon
A beautiful tree sways in the wind
It's budding blossoms bloom
A season passes
you see then
It's branches making room
Summer
comes and summer sun
Warms fruit until crisp and ripe
Aroma pleasant
air so sweet
Perfume of sheer delight
Moving
to the stage we know
From heavy limbs that bow must go
Our fancy sweet
so soft with age
Gently withers down below
Autumn
blowing leaves away
Winter comes and softly paints
Our once bleak scene to fluffy white
Flakes journey now to limbs alight
Windy
raindrops turns to sleet
And sleet to ice from cold
Soon warm rains
rinse clouds away
And seedlings do unfold
Butterflies
in full array
Birds sing songs again
Flapping feathers fill the air
As a tree sways in the wind
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Sunshine Dixon,
artist and poet, and Governor Ted Kulongoski |
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