Sunday, January 30, 2011

Cranes and Friends

My friend Sue wrote on her Feathers and Flowers blog a few days ago about cranes in Asia and the crane sculpture in her garden.  It reminded me that I had been meaning to post a photo of this quilt piece made by another friend.

Sharon does such fine quilt work, the details are precise and the needlework so tiny that the piece looks more like a painting than a quilt.  Cranes often show up in her work.  She made this wall hanging as a talisman for Roger “for a strong spirit and good health” during his bone marrow transplant journey.

Images of cranes are excellent reminders of wishes for long life, good fortune, peace, support and friendship across time and distance.

Here’s a poem for you both.  Although in this case, the crane is the “yellow crane tower,” a place name and not a direct reference to the bird.  I like the sentiment.
--Candi


Goodbye at Yellow Crane Tower
  
Here's my good old friend
At the Yellow Crane Terrace
For a western departure.
We're saying good-bye.
He's in a cloud of third-month blossoms.
He's off downstream to Yang-Chou.
That shadow is his lonely sail.
Now it is gone.
All the blue is empty now.
All you can see is that long, long river.
It flows to the edge of the sky.

--Li Bai

1 comment:

  1. It is so wonderful to hear you are both doing "great" (maybe overused, but...)! I hope my art work keeps you on track - strong spirit, good health.

    ReplyDelete

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