It’s Bigger Picture Blogs’ SECOND Birthday today and we’re celebrating in double! Yesterday we shared treats in preparation for the party. Today, on Bigger Picture Moment day, we’re sharing words and photos with you. We partnered up and collaborated, each in response to a prompt. My partner is May from Achieving Clarity and our prompt was “Such Great Heights” {The Postal Service}. We broke the rules a little bit (in service of our concept!). Instead of one photographer and one writer, we collaborated on both!* Here’s our contribution to the fun!
Such Great Heights
Little boxes
of status updates
a perfect theatre of who we are.
But everything looks perfect, from far away.
We paint our world
through words we choose
so carefully, nothing left to chance
Knowing everything looks perfect from far away.
Even imperfections
are perfect imperfections,
the kind we all appreciate.
Because everything looks perfect from far away.
Disparate lives, in different worlds
Friendships forged across space
Age, place, culture and experience matter no more
When we find ourselves waving from such great heights.
So come a little nearer
Linger a little longer
See me for who I really am.
Even artifice is not artifice, when a mask shows who I wish to be.
You reveal to me
And I reveal to you
Together we become the women we long to be
Perfect imperfection achieved from so far away
And eye to eye, sister to sister,
Womb to womb, and heart to heart
We speak our words of truth.
Read closely, I’m not so very far away.
Pour your soul into words
Half way ‘cross the world
I hear your heart beating.
Together we are home.
…..Even when we’re far away.
*We both took photos {in case you couldn’t tell…} and May edited and compiled them. In the poem, I wrote the odd-numbered stanzas (first, third, etc.), and May wrote the even-numbered ones (second, fourth, etc.), and I edited the final version. Upon sharing the final piece with my husband, I learned that’s how The Postal Service did their music too. Producer Jimmy Tamborello would lay down the instrumental tracks, then ship it over to vocalist Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) who edited it as necessary and added the lyrics, then send it back via USPS, hence the name “The Postal Service.” Talk about serendipity!
We’re all linking up our posts at Hyacynth’s today! Join in the fun, browse the various compilations, and we have a bonus prompt for any latecomers who want to join in! (For Me This is Heaven by Jimmy Eat World) Anyone who participates is entered into our giveaway: this creativity package from Compendium and two free copies of A Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves!
Happy Birthday, Bigger Picture Blogs!
What a great time this was! Thank you for being such a terrific and talented partner.
It was really so much fun! And that overlay of the eye was such a fantastic idea! Love it.
So lovely!! I love the idea of really seeing each other – growing close even from far away. Seems like a perfect expression of how we all grow to care about other through our blogs….a wonderful expression of celebration of this BPB community!! (also, my partner and I cheated too…although I don't think we knew we were cheating at the time!!) – GREAT Collaboration!!
Thanks, Adrienne! It was May's idea to really make it a celebration of all that was special about the BPB community and I love that that really shined through. I had a great partner!
What a wonderful collaboration! I love how you have highlighted the masks that many of us hide behind thanks to social media while unearthing our deepest desire to build a comunity – and to be loved for who we are, flaws and all.
Thanks Kim! It's such a funny paradox, isn't it? But yet, somehow despite the pressures we find a way to make it work and really reach out. And those connections we make can be really special, can't they?
You guys totally rocked this! I love it. Love how you worked together and love the result. Beautiful.
eye to eye – sister to sister – Love it!
I'm just beyond captivated with this! I LOVE how you two wove your words together, intermingled your pictures, your stories … creating, just as you said, like The Postal Service creates songs. That is SO awesome, and yes, very serendipitous! You two just shined in this collaboration!
Jade & May- I am blown away by your talent, your words, your voices, your partnership. This was truly EXTRAORDINARY. Truly.
Alita
You two. I LOVE how you put this all together — the photos, the stanzas…it's all so insightful and yearning. What a FABULOUS collaborative duo you are!
I got chills when I go to your eyes together. Seriously this is such an awesome collaboration. Just amazing!
That was all May.
It was such a good idea! We were both amazed at how well the two eyes fit together too, though. Serendipity strikes again!
This, THIS, my friends, is exactly what Bigger Picture Blogs and Bigger Picture Moments are all about. The photos, the words, the collaboration, the two hearts coming together even from far away…this is why I love this community so much. Breathtaking and completely beautiful…thank you for sharing your words and your hearts!
PS – The way you collaborated on this prompt and how well it fit for the song choice you were given is nothing short of amazing. You were both meant for this prompt.
Thanks Stephanie! We really had a ton of fun doing this. May has such great ideas and is a great partner!
That poem was wonderful! All the words and imagery come together so well. Kudos on the such a great collaboration!
This is such super fun and I really like that song!
That was wicked cool! I would have never guessed you guys wrote it that way because the flow was seamless. Well done girlies!!