The Alchemist’s Studio invites its viewers to a monthly competition called Name that Vase.

The moment I saw this month’s creation, one word came to mind, Tara. Can you see the robin’s egg summer sky and the golden, molten earthy tones in the base? I hope so. Here is my “found poem” inspired by this stunning vase, and my own memories of the iconic movie adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s novel, Gone with the Wind.

Tara

The red earth of Tara,
the land you live on’s your mother,
and you love her better than men,
though you may not know it.

Home, you’ll go home
to inherit pride.
It comes to you,
this love of the land.
You live in dirt so long,
you can’t understand
anything else,
but it’s from this
you get your strength.

For years, you’ve loved
something that doesn’t exist.
But after all,
tomorrow is another day,
and this clay
is all’a Tara they’ll ever get.

Tara,
the only thing worth working for,
worth fighting for,
worth dying for;
the only thing that lasts.

Tara,
with enough courage,
you can do without reputation.
But don’t think about that now,
think about that tomorrow
and think of someway
to get back.