bern city center
.
the lion’s heavy in my bag
i smuggle him
past the watchman
past the border and don’t
buy a ticket for him on the bus,
we sit close
to the door
in case someone stops/
suspects and checks–
“i didn’t even know
where tunis was exactly” i say
on my cheeks a billion color squares,
hair tousled by the breeze&art
can make you dizzy
“let’s go to the other exhibition floor?”
i ask my friend
“heck”
“just a quick walk through–
without stopping anywhere?”
the lion groans,
he’s feeling homesick
and a friend from ZA writes she printed out my sketch
and now a group of stuttgart street musicians
play their flutes
somewhere in her house in africa
“ha– ”
i say to my friend “don’t stop//don’t stop
keep walking”
&the lion roars //wide open throat
majestically &dips
his giant paws
into my watercolor box//
“i’m sorry” he says
“never mind”
“we’re waiting here for you” she writes
he stretches across the map
his ochre fur a playmate to the wind,
then yawns
&rests
his mighty head
tender on my lap
.
smiles… another piece from my visit to the paul klee exhibit in bern last weekend…
jaywalking the moon 
I’ve always loved your surrealistic element in your writing… But a lion in a bag.. I love the thought of having one… roaring to protect.
Delightful Claudia! All of a sudden I have this imagine of you and this lion (or some lion) gone wild with watercolours… What fun you must have!
First of all, I loved the sketch/painting, Claudia. Smiles. Liked the idea of carrying a lion in your bag as a friend & being able to smuggle him sight unseen past the border. Life is good when one has a lion close, as protector and for a bit of warmth as well, not to mention friendship. How neat to think that one of your sketches is now on the wall of someone in Africa. I remember that sketch….smiles…how things happen in these days of the internet is astounding. The connections we make! The ending is touching…the head on your lap…what person needs more!
Paul Klee is always good… and the lion is such a lovely touch… My son tried to smuggle a lizard into Windsor Castle when he was 5, set off alarms and everything!
smiles…nice magic in this…walking with the lion…and your interaction with him….and that he dips with color into your watercolor box…and paints on ahead of you a bit…its cool…i like the little details that bring the scene to life around you too…the street musicians…
I saw a Paul Klee exhibition in Switzerland (in Martigny) many years ago and really enjoyed it. I like how he played with colors – very inspiring. Interesting interaction between you and Africa, with the lion on one side and your painting on the other.
I wonder how many women smuggle dogs on public transport, carry lions in their bags, or carry dobermans in their purses (an old Hollander cartoon)? I wonder if men do it too? I love your painting, the Klee paintings on her cheeks, the roar and the stretch “across the map
his ochre fur a playmate to the wind …”
The lion sounds like he had much to do along with you, but seems like he wanted to play and unstick the glue to you haha
I’d love to have a lion of my own – ,my favorite animal. Loved the whimsy of this, and just the audacity of having a lion in your bag as you go about your poem! So many nice little touches in here. Very enjoyable.
Tina @ Life is Good
On the Open Road! @ Join us for the 4th Annual Post-Challenge Road Trip!
Your poem is like a Klee painting…once again you’ve captured essential elements of the subject in words.
Dear Claudia– first I love Klee– then, this is such a cool poem– the lion, Africa, the flutists– very vivid and cool. Thanks, k.
I love your imaginative friend…the lion and all talks thru the poem…very nice ~ thanks, you never disappoint :)xx
I did not want this poem to ever end!
Who knows where lions come from? I’m just glad when they do, always livens up the day of breezes and art.
LOVE the part about the Stuttgart street musicians and their flute melodies wafting through the African air, cool!!
xooxox
Oh this is good…especially in view of the fact that we just finished watching The Life of Pi about 10 minutes ago. Okay, so that was a tiger but…Wonderful metaphor.
Take a lion with you everywhere you go. You know it makes sense. And Paul Klee rocks!
They cost a fortune in food and kitty litter.
love the connections you make with continents, metaphors, music and art…a grand canvas indeed…beautifully done Claudia..
A lovely inspired painting & I like how you incorporated the lion into watercolor box, smiles ~
Surreal … a lion in your bag, perhaps symbolizing a creative force. Enjoyed this, Claudia 🙂
This is gorgeous… I love the play back and forth with the lion, especially the way he lays his head in your lap at the ends, you and he, trusting each other. I think you should always carry a lion in your bag 🙂
Wonderful! You made my literary day 🙂
Ah! sometimes don’t we love to smuggle things!!!
How I love this poem, enjoying the walk and conversation, along with the communications from far away. I adore the accompanying lion, “his head tender on my lap”.
Ha! I love it. I smiled right away with your opening…love the lion the whole way through.
Same here as the first poster. Loved “the lion in the bag” moment. Beauitful.
Greetings from London.
The opening of a lion in my bag is powerful and full of symbolism..I wouldn’t mind a lion in my bag..interesting..a roaring lion waiting to be heard..you have a unique style that I find amazing.
Love it! Reminiscent of a Saul Bellow novel but in poetry form . . . Enjoyed the interweaving of the characters and situations. I believe this is my first visit to your blog and I’ll surely return.
The lion sleeps tonight … let’s go … let’s go … let’s really go … your place or mine? … Grrr … Meow …
The lion was a great addition. Very cleve.
A lovely and clever story… The painting adds to the beauty of the poem… Really interesting 🙂
such a tonic!
both the sketches with the deft touch
and the hand in humanity’s backpocket.
Can you blame them for pinching a bit of life?