Pillars. (Original poetry)

In the biblical myth of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's wife turns to look at the destruction of what had comprised her life and is turned into a pillar of salt. Pillars not only alludes to this myth, with its underlying 'ignorance is protection' message, but goes beyond it to examine the potentially paralyzing elements of existence. Stylistically, the juxtaposition of order with disorder reflects the difficulty of such an endeavor. Form is a wished-for restraint which can allow one to avoid examination. The first-person narratives, frequently spoken in the voice of a recognizable literary character, reinforce the individual nature of such an undertaking, while the unexpected landscapes highlight the realm of possible interpretations this creative act allows. The sudden appearance of song within the framework of these landscapes ultimately reflects the hope contained in such new interpretations of the pillars of public and personal myth.