The Unfiltered Canon:
Visualizing the Imprecatory Soul
A New Collection in Text: “Is Jesus Real, Like Me? Reflections on Life’s Seasons.”
For years, my mixed media art has explored the texture of memory and the fragmentation of feeling. This new collection, The Unfiltered Canon, continues that exploration, but trades paper and paint for raw, honest verse. Like the ancient psalmist who dared to voice their anger and deepest pain, these poems refuse to filter the difficult seasons of the soul — the loss, the anger, and the fragile resurgence of hope. They are visual sketches in language, attempting to map the same fiery landscapes you see in many of my collages and paintings.”
A Creative Note
In memory of my mother, Catherine B. Yoder
This collection opens by facing the question head-on with the “I Am” poem, establishing the honest, vulnerable footing for the subsequent Seasons of Life explored in the rest of the work. This textual journey, wrapped in the visual anxiety of the ‘At Play’ cover, is my offering to The Unfiltered Canon.”
Integration: Poetry and Art
The cover artwork, ‘At Play,’ utilizes deceptively light, bouncing shapes against deep, anxious colors. This reflects the poem ‘Brain Check,’ which explores the complexity of appearing functional while the mind is intensely grappling with doubt and difficult reflections. The layers of pigment inks mirror the complex, almost invisible layers of thought and anxiety that the poem unpacks.
“Sitting outside the class/Tomorrow is today’s goodbye/Bouncing balls and jacks.”
The raw, carved texture of the encaustic piece, ‘Adam,’ speaks directly to the emotional toil explored in the poem ‘Stress Fractures.’ The carving process leaves visible trauma in the ‘rose-red dirt’ medium, representing the pressure and painful splitting that occurs during seasons of grief and questioning. The visual ‘stress fractures’ are the direct manifestation of the emotional state found in the verse.
“…I didn’t know I should have asked/To shift the weight, redraw the map./Seeping in, the world’s small snares - Stress fractures.”
Both the poem and the artwork share as part of the title ‘Alien,” capturing the intense feeling of displacement and separation that accompanies honest spiritual reflection. This poem explores the sense of being an outsider, even in the midst of community and faith. The visual piece captures this isolation through its composition, illustrating that profound feeling of being ‘in the midst’ yet utterly alone.
“Earthling form/The alien in your midst from another world/Language unknown and strange/Rhema and logos the same.”
Acquire the Collection
The Medium: Digital Ebook - PDF - EPUB - MOBI
The Volume: A complete collection of 40 poems
The Scope: Approximately 10,050 words
The Design: Includes the powerful ‘At Play’ cover art and dedicated internal typography designed for visual clarity
Direct Support: Purchasing here directly supports the creation of future visual and textual art.
Digital Ebook
Price: $15.00
Print-On-Demand
Physical Volume (via Blurb)
For those who prefer a tactile experience, a limited Print-On-Demand option is being made available through Blurb. The print volume features the full collection in a beautifully bound format.