I’ve known J. Don Cook since we worked together at The Daily Oklahoman in the 1970s and we’ve been a mutual admiration society since. If you’ve been to my home, the brushed steel sculpture in the entryway and the gorgeous hand-tint photo “Scratch Patch” are two of his works that prominently adorn my home. He’s a writer, artist, sculptor, photographer and shaman and has to be the 6 and a half feet tall he is just to barely contain all that talent. Sometimes, he sends along something he’s been working on and just this week, I received both this photo of local artist gone Santa Fe, Liz Hahn, and this poem. I admire both works and offer them as better than anything I have to say today.
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Liz Two, a hand-tinted print by J. Don Cook

Bearing Witness

The early light cleans my eyes
And I realize I can bear witness
With God’s blessing of free will,
To objects of my choosing,
And I decide to bear witness
To melting butter on wheat
Toast,
And to the goodness of you and
The shining light of love in your
Face and the reflection of all
That’s holy in the
Iris of your laughing eyes,
And your shoelaces flapping
Like oiled spaghetti
And your cowlick more unruly
Of late, and the freckles on your
Shoulder, scattered like raisins.

J. Don Cook