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Cynthia Good
Behind the Armoire at Tienda 17
With focusing art from Featured Artist Gery Kempczynski.

His tongue, a mango slice
inside my mouth. Eyes, slate
clouds. Arms, the sun.
hair, feral. Jaw, pepper
and sandpaper. His breath,
my breath. We are running
out of days.
About the writer:
Cynthia Good is an award-winning poet, journalist, former TV news anchor, and author of the new chapbook, What We Do with Our Hands from Finishing Line Press. She has written seven books and launched two magazines. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals including Tupelo Quarterly, Pedestal, and Terminus Magazine.
Image: In City Dreams (Canvas 2) by Gery Kempczynski (contemporary). Oil on canvas. 60 x 48 inches. By 2023. By permission. Gery Kempczynski is an O:JA&L Featured Artist for June 2023.
About the Featured Artist:
With paintings being displayed in homes, city community centers and hospitals across the United States, Gery Kempczynski, a returning artist to OJAL (Lagniappe, July 2, 2018) is a seasoned professional artist focusing on color, texture, nonfigurative landscapes, and abstract art. Exhibitions include Beverly Art Alliance venues, Arlington Heights Northwest Community Hospital, and The Village of Evergreen Park Center. “When I come to my canvas, I feel free to place brush on canvas and color is set to my mood. As I paint, the production begins to uncover which direction this work will take. Abstracted landscapes allow viewers to find much more in my work other than a simple mountain or a tree, but rather, allow them continually to find within my work special tokens and emblems to enjoy for a lifetime.”