Poster Image

Five people hold hands and sit in a circle on a newspaper boat in blue water

$20

Item#: 2018SYR06

Purchase Details

11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.

You also receive…

An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.

Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.

White Clouds Drifting Where?

poster information

Description

White clouds drifting where?
Over ocean or dark wood
Homeland hearth—blue smoke

While walking outside on a cold winter's day in Syracuse, I watched smoke coming out of a neighbor's chimney. It brought back memories of my former Vietnam's countryside. I vividly recall how animated the day at sunset was! Aloft the sky, white clouds wandering, down here the poor hamlet little by little sinks into darkness, no noises, no chaos except farmers left. The rice field, plough upon shoulder, cows and buffalos toward their stable bellowing. But what most inspired me was the greyish blue smoke flowing out of each family's thatched roof, where mothers and wives were cooking the evening meal, promising a sweet reunion of the whole family under an oil lamp.

The first imagery that came to my mind about the illustration is the image of people coming together. The idea is that these people are coming together despite the differences in nationality, beliefs, and culture. The boat image in my poster represents the crisis of the refugees seeking hope and a safe place to stay. It portrays a strong visual and overwhelming emotions while questioning how these people had to go through such harsh living conditions in their native countries. They are seeking refuge in another country and hoping to be welcome regardless of their origin or political status. The reason why I chose this haiku is because it speaks for me in a simple way and reminds me of how I feel about living in Syracuse.