I Rise

"I Rise," was inspired by an uplifting and art-filled vacation my husband and I took to Paris last summer. We left our apartment at Place de Vosges in the Marais early one morning. Stories seemed to rise with the sun. Gothic reliefs on Notre Dame de Paris told tales that held us awestruck. Gargoyles overhead giggled before swooping down to capture our imaginations. Later, the Victory of Samothrace rose from a sea of aesthetes at the Louvre. "Your intentions," she said. "I'll take them from here." I said a prayer. A wind filled her wings, my hearts' desires ascended and I watched Victory fly swiftly with my dreams. Days later, a graffiti walk took us from the art of the ages housed within architectural wonders to narrow alleys filled with vivid markings. Just like the masterpieces, these fleeting expressions and tags spoke to me of a yearning to make manifest a rich and soulful story within each artist. Street art depicting children impressed upon me the importance of giving flight to our childhood wishes. I loved the conversation the Universe had with me and the story I reimagine from this wonderful trip.