Home » Poems » Laurentine G » Today Series - APR 24 1990 by On Kawara

Today Series - APR 24 1990 by On Kawara

I lift a day of my life
     place it in layers
give little away but my time
          dropping anchors in silt
     for they drift with me
until I drop away

      let me draw out a silence

         today I gave you a layer of me
   in exchange for the time between coats
              the structure around 
          becomes the content within

    I'd love to take it apart
live in reverse 
         examine a dismantled day ~
but as it's against the clock
   we have to move on

artekphrasis

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Paige Hind

April 12, 2026 at 11:22 PM

congrats on your win!! stunning :)

Constance La France

April 11, 2026 at 11:01 AM

Laurentine, beautiful penned creative poem, and congratulations on your placement in the contest ~

Sara Kendrick

April 10, 2026 at 12:39 PM

Congratulations on your winning work in Brian's contest. Way to go. Thank you for sharing this work with us. Sara K

Laurentine G

April 10, 2026 at 12:40 PM

Thanks Sara, you're a star :)

Daniel Henry Rodgers

April 9, 2026 at 4:56 PM

Dear Laurentine, the idea of "dropping anchors in silt" is a heavy one. I’ve spent years watching the days layer themselves up, and there’s a sobering truth in the realization that our anchors don't actually hold us still, they just drift along with us until the clock runs out. The desire to dismantle a day and live it in reverse is a feeling I know intimately, there’s so much we miss in the forward momentum that only becomes clear once it’s out of reach. Wonderful. Blessings, Daniel

Laurentine G

April 9, 2026 at 10:25 PM

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment Daniel - it's always a risk that my abstract poems can fall through the cracks because they aren't as accessible but a few comments can turn that around. Time is very ponderable but passes regardless - an interesting entity for sure! Thanks again, appreciated

JC Brul

April 9, 2026 at 2:14 PM

"today I give you a layer of me", such a sublime expression. Congratulations LG. ^___^ jCB

Laurentine G

April 9, 2026 at 2:28 PM

Thank you so much JCB, I always appreciate your visit - congratulations also :)

David Kavanagh

April 9, 2026 at 11:15 AM

It’s amazing how imperceptible time really is LG especially when (the structure around becomes the content within), to ponder that line alone is quite profound, I just looked up these (today series) by Kawara, and read your reply to ink below, the concept in itself is quite fascinating, but not sure I would fork out the asking price for the paintings, one actually went for 4 million plus, your contemporary Ekphrasis says more than the artwork, yet was inspired by it, all very counterintuitive, just like time, cheers David

Laurentine G

April 9, 2026 at 2:28 PM

I nearly scrapped this poem as it was so short and I wasn't sure but I showed it to a friend and they rated it so decided to post. I really do have a fascination with paintings I'd never want to own haha - it's definitely a thing! I agree, once you get into that very particular headspace where time can be contemplated it is incomprehensibly tactile, scuff it with your shoe, strange but not giving up it's strangeness! Thank you for the engaged comment, it's zings a poem into life to receive :)

Ink Empress

April 8, 2026 at 4:22 AM

“but as it's against the clock we have to move on” what a way to end this poem with really! How deeply moving is this poem? I think iv seen some kwara art and i can imagine what this must have been as i read your words, so well articulated and delivered! There’s so much i feel in this poem! “ today I gave you a layer of me in exchange for the time between coats” whoa! How even do you come up with such lines? Ugh! You might not realize, but you are truly talented! Fave this is! Sending u light always

Laurentine G

April 8, 2026 at 4:38 AM

You're brilliant, thank you! You'll be shocked when you view this art - it's just the date painted on a black background :D he did many of them and if he didn't finish by midnight would discard them. The completed ones were wrapped in newspaper from that day and stored. He literally just lay his day down in paint layers painting the date. Meditative I imagine. I just transposed it into the time and ink or talk we gift to others on a daily basis and how lingering isn't really possible. I romanticised a little bit regarding those interactions that can be quite beautiful even though fleeting and not necessarily of equal significance to each party. Thank you for my fave and all the compliments! :)

Today Series - APR 24 1990 by On Kawara

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