My friend and I, for more together time,
attended class in "writing" Easter eggs.
This art is practised in Ukraine, its true
beginnings lost in tales of fine designs
inscribed to charm the spirits of the fields
for health, for harvest, home and happiness.
In Christian times the pagan symbols changed:
the sun became the cross, the sheaves and birds
and curling lines took sacred meanings too;
and as we played with eggs, we talked and laughed.
The craft consists of dyeing eggs in two
or more successive colours; but the art
is drawing melted wax in pictograms.
We made unsteady lines - unpractised hands.
We drew and dyed, concealing almost all
the shell in sooty beeswax. At the end,
removing molten wax revealed - surprise!
In class, we two were satisfied with all -
we learned a little of our heritage,
and shared the gentle grace of being friends.
Author notes
The name for the pysanka comes from the Ukrainian verb to write, pysaty (писа́ти).
http://www.umacleveland.org/pysanky.htm
Published in the Easter 2008 edition of Ukrainska Dumka.
In a list
A contest entry
- # 40 Contest for Winklings and like-minded friends: "Blank Verse". by Winklings.
11920 points, ended February 11, 11 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think.
Comments
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Margaret, what an enchanting art and tradition! I love the ideas behind this, too, and would think time together sharing would be the biggest treasure of all. I adore the background for this piece, too. It's cheerful!
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All lies in the wax, the candle,
the drying and removal, I believe.
And, the fineness of your pen!
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You write about any topic ,,,
with such nonchalant flair. How do you do it?
I think you let go and let Muse! 
Loved this ... we share many things, do you know? I die about dyeing ... (that dying word isn't that confusing?) To work with colors gives me much joy.
Thank you for an interesting write, neatly crafted.
Love
Myra
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This is a rewrite, I worked pretty hard on this!
It helps that I really took the class two weeks ago, and the eggs pictured are my handiwork.
I think I have to look up dying/dyeing to see which is right there. Thank you sweetheart!
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Certainly this has been detailed
I cannot now forget Ukrainian Easter eggs. You have written in narrative style, lines about a curious process that is so happily cultural.
Thank you for being part of this contest. You have brought to it colour and variety.
What a pretty page, as well.
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A very intersting writing, done
in great detail and description.
It flowed well and has great
rythm. I enjoyed this.
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Thank you Paulette, I'm happy you enjoyed. I think it's a bit wordy in the second stanza, and I may change it after the contest.
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Hi, wonderful poetry from you as usual, I really enjoyed this piece, hugs Di
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Thank you very much for your comment and applause, Di.
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Well, I will say I have learned a lot about Ukrainian Easter Eggs in this piece. A very informative work.
Though it seems a bit more prose-like and text book information, you have held well to pentameter which is indeed conversational.
I enjoyed this a great deal, but will defer to Lyndon for a more in-depth critique on the form. This is the second piece today that I have thought may be more effective as prose rather than poetry in blank verse format.
Might be a learning curve I have.
Thank you for this. ~Pamela
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wow, what a cool activity to share together. I just adore those eggs. Wonderful! Easter is just around the corner now...
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Thanks for applause and appreciation Marcy. There are all sorts of things that you can do with a friend for quality time. The name for the pysanka comes from the verb for writing. Perhaps I should change the title!
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Fascinating!
The grace of friendship is like an Easter Egg hunt. We look into another's eyes (or words) and sometimes we see friendship and sometimes we have to keep hunting until we do. When we seek friendship we can find ways to share friendship in the most fascinating ways as y'all have so beautifully!!!
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Thank you Sea - the poem begins and ends with friendship. It doesn't matter what you do, it is the sharing that counts.
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Like batik
During the years as Art Teacher (In 35 years of teaching and twelve more as volunteer, I have been many things) batik was a favourite among the kids. Essentially the method is the same, but cotton cloth is the base. Even white paper works if old white cotton sheets cannot be torn into pieces.
I wonder, would food colour do? All we really need are three, the primary colours. White is saved first of course. Like life, if basic integrity is lost by foolish action, it can never be fully regained.
The next must be yellow, for similar reasons. Not on cloth, but on firm surfaces, previous wax can be partially removed by scratching lines away, to allow clear red or blue where there was white.
Choice of red or blue as the next colour makes a big difference. The result will be a secondary colour (orange or green) in unprotected places. The third primary is last after adding wax where other colours are kept. If red was the second, blue will give brown, a tertiary colour (orange + blue) except if, as before, previous wax lines have been removed. With red last, a different brown results of green + red.
Essentially the same principles as what you see in Easter Eggs, except for working in the round.
Bored yet?
Doing and finding is much more fun than in science class studying the colour wheel!
Terry
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Wow!
You should write a poem on this colour business, methinks.
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I'm glad my poem stirred up this knowledge for you to share!
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Dear Margaret,
I congratulate your skill... Over the past half-century I have tried - on several occasions - to master this art... but my my hands always tremble too much to achieve anything except a VERY - shall we say - "modern art" effect. -
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Dear Vera, I cannot claim those lovely eggs as my work, they are unattributed in a collection in the US. Who told us that "I" is not always the poet? This is a work of fiction. On the other hand, I take full responsibility for the deficiencies of the verse!
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Dear Margaret,
I did not suppose those particular pysanky were yours - I think I recognize the picture from Easter cards from the US diaspora! However, what is obvious from your poem is that you have understood and "internalized" the procedures, in a way that reveals an aptitude for this art - which is something,as I said, that I do NOT have.
Vera
PS - On the other hand, my embroidery is quite competent - I mean the real -thread on fabric sort (not simply "embroidering" poems as Shevchenko calls it!)
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As Terry (DeeCrepit, above) says, dying pysanky is much like batik, which I learned literally at my mother's knee. I have the opportunity soon to take such a class as I wrote about in my poem, and friends to take it with. LIfe offers many interesting things.
Now, good night.
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