Poetry

DESERT DRAWN  Visual & verbal sketches

In 2003 the book “ Desert Drawn “ was published.  Musings, poems, prose and drawings taken from ongoing desert wanderings.  Royden has put together a collection of sparse but passionate renderings ( offerings ) of his experience.  Known for his woodcuts and intensely colored paintings, these sketches/drawings and words disclose a more intimate, reverential aspect of his relation to the land.  A major impetus to create this book came from an exhibition held at the St George Art Museum, “REDROCK – BADLANDS – SAGE”, where his poetry was hung alongside the paintings.  Requests for copies of the poems resulted in a rather rough rendition for patrons of the exhibit.  The final book is more comprehensive containing over sixty prose/poems and as many drawings.  It could be the next best thing to a red-rock throne under a vast blue sky of silence and sage rain perfume.

FROM THE BOOK:

Desert Drawn Poem
THE SCENT OF SAGE AND CLIFF ROSE BLOOMS,
CANYON WREN’S SONG – COYOTE’S CALL,
AN AMBER SUNSET SETTING RICE GRASS PLUMES ABLAZE
AND SANDSTONE WALLS AGLOW.
THE FLOW OF COTTONWOODS, GOLDEN
ALONG THE STREAM– LEAVES SHIMMERING, AGLEAM.
ALL THESE FOR REFUGE, FOR SANCTUARY.
ALL THAT IS HOLY DOES COMPASS THESE ALSO
INTO THAT GREAT WHOLE.
royden
I WILL BE CONTENT WITH STONE– THE SAND– THE SCENT OF
SAGE– TREASURE THE SOUND & TASTE OF RAIN– LOVE THE
ENDLESS BLUES OF SKY– BE GRATEFUL FOR STARS WHICH,
ON A MOONLESS NIGHT, DEEP IN THE DESERT, CAST DOWN
LIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE MY WAY HOME