Our featured artist for July is Shaun Heeren.  Here is the artist’s story in his own words (misspellings in the poetry are intentionally left unedited): 

 

I find my poetry is an expression of my Dyslexia

In elementary school I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and placed in special education classes. Learning to read and write the same way as the rest of the class wasn't an option for me. When reading, words would stump me regularly, and in order to understand the text I would have to figure out the meaning of the words. This led me to make word associations involving context, sound and symbol in order to quickly decipher complicated words when reading. Writing for me is like reading in reverse order, first discovering a basic context then finding words that best fit. I find my poetry is an expression of my dyslexia. This poem experiments with word play in order to give the reader a sense of how text is perceived by a dyslexic initially.

 

April

Between the eyes is paridise realzide

we can turn it around

flip it upside dawn

bang on a drum if it doesent make sound

 

I was born Shaun Heeren in Grand Rapids Michigan in March of 1979, where I have lived most of my life. I have worked as a quality inspector, compliance auditor and lab tech. All these occupations involved confirming whether or not the information resulting from a process fit a standard. I think my experience with reading and writing led me to be particularly good at identifying non-conforming data and the sources. This is because successfully reading and understanding a text becomes a conscious act of data analysis, continually finding the most likely words while narrowing down the reasons for unlikely ones. Reading in this way leads to a somewhat expanded perspective on what possibilities a text may hold, both its misunderstanding, actual ascertains and where the difference between them is small. 

Realizing I attribute most of what I consider to be successful about myself to what is labeled as disability is ironic for some. I choose to accept this uniqueness as an advantage that is largely unutilized by a society that undervalues it. Many people who are seen to have a disability are actually very creative and adept at thinking outside the box. I realize it’s hard for some to view the ideas and contributions from individuals who seem to be outside the norm as valuable. Creative expression is so important for us because it offers a way for people who are normally marginalized to communicate ideas that none the less are important and beneficial to society as a whole. Places like Heartside offer environments for people like me to express themselves creatively through art and writing. It’s a place were ideas are born, communicated and realized among a group whose diversities and uniqueness reach farther and in more directions than any other place in the city. 

               

Dust and Energy

She was moonlight and stillness

When she took you like a handful

Added you to a number

So it would make you whole

 

The pressure that lit a gas cloud

To make a star in the night

That purchased a new direction

From blank space and energy

Declaring it with a burst of warmth

 

Bright light and metaphor

Travel great distances unbroken

A beam in space is not owned

Justifying itself with a timeless flow

A thousand yes journey

From that star to your eyes

Taken in a moments bliss

From an original source

Washing over you - entirely not yours

Gifts from heaven raining down

Always a reminder of what we are

The dust and energy are alive in you

 

 

I Want The Corn

I want the corn - not the husk

The pea and not the stalk

I take the fruit and leave the branch

Give the mellon not the rind

We drink the juice of grapes in time

Send the torrents of these tears

As witness stands against them

In the form of whitewashed walls

Take our wool to mend a budget

The system is weak and frail

With our children's exploited souls

The whitewashed walls are falling shame

Zion calls us hers again

Jubilee comes rolling in

By will of man or force of god

The kingdom calls them ours not yours

Babylon shows her cards and folds

Or the will of god comes crashing down

To judge us by the way we love

Takes the corn and leaves the husk

Places the boundary stones again

Says it is our flesh of gain

Not your token wool for pay

 

Sun Shines

There is a flower blooming

And a light to shine

There is a lovely essence

In the air around

Bare feet would want to walk the grass

And feel all the ground

And let the plight of flowers

become a lovely song

We sing because the sun shines

Justice for the wrongs

 

 

The Artists of Heartside Gallery and Studio is a monthly feature to highlight some of the wonderful people of the Heartside neighborhood.  Visit www.heartside.org , Facebook and our Flickr page to keep up with us, to learn about volunteering and other ways to get involved.

Sarah Scott is Arts Coordinator for Heartside Gallery and Studio at Heartside Ministry, and can be reached at art@heartside.org