WriteArt II art response

And here is my written response to this image. It was such a challenge to stay within the 400 word limit! I ended up asking Jillie (from "A Measure of Joy" in the first WriteArt collection) to join me and we wrote a little play.

Our last gathering to share our creations proved quite emotional! I cried when I saw Joy's artistic response to my poem and when I started off reading my response to her work by singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep," she burst out laughing! There's nothing like making (and sharing) our art to enliven our lives.

And One for the Little Lamb

Baa Baa Black Sheep,

Have you any wool?

JILLIE: Nana, what are they doing to the sheep?

NANA: They’re shaving off their coats, Jilliebean.

JILLIE: The sheep don’t sound very happy about it.

NANA: No, but they’ll feel so much better once those heavy, winter coats are gone.

Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full.

JILLIE: Nana, why are they putting the hair in those bags?

NANA: It’s called fleece, Jillie. We’ll send it away to be washed and combed and spun into yarn that we can knit into new mittens for you to wear next winter.

JILLIE: And a toque, too?

NANA: Yes, Jillebean, and a toque, too.

JILLIE: And a—

NANA: (Holds up her hand, stopping Jillie mid-sentence.) And a nice, long scarf.

(Jillie claps her hands and runs to peer into the overflowing bags.)

One for my master,

One for my dame.

JILLIE: Nana, how do those sticks turn the yarn into mittens?

NANA: It’s a special kind of magic, Jilliebean. Would you like me to show you how?

JILLIE: (incredulous) You mean I could turn yarn into mittens?

NANA: How about if we start with a blanket for Thumbelina?

JILLIE: (Claps her hands and runs out of the room. She returns clutching a tiny doll.) And then I can make some mittens for Mama!

NANA: Or maybe a scarf? We’ll dye it a pretty color.

JILLIE: (Nods, beaming.) It will keep her warm when she has to scrape the snow off the car in wintertime. (Frowns.) Nana, how come Baby Baa Baa doesn’t have a big, heavy coat?

NANA: She doesn’t need it right now, Jillie. It’s spring. Her fleece will grow as she grows and by the time winter comes again she’ll have a thick, wooly coat to keep her warm.

JILLIE: (Looks doubtful.) But there’s still snow out there! Baa Baa will be cold! (Stares out the window and then whirls around and claps her hands.) I know! (Runs out of the room.)

(Nana bends over her knitting.)

(Jillie runs back into the room, clutching something. She thrusts her hand into Nana’s lap. Nana stares into her lap and then up at her granddaughter’s shorn head.)

NANA: Jillie! What have you done?

JILLIE: We can use my fleece to make a nice, warm scarf for Baa Baa.

And one for the little lamb

Who lives down the lane.