Cicada

Our younger son, Jason, who goes by Amos in the art world (his middle name that was given in honor of his great grandfather Amos Benfield) recently had an art show.  The title of the show was "Cicada" and all of the paintings were just beautiful!  

As a part of the show, he and his brother wrote an original piece of music and Jason Amos read a poem he had written while the music was played by some incredible musicians.  The instruments were a keyboard, Moog, cello, upright bass, and violin.

There was quite a crowd there for the show, which was held in his friend Brian's beautiful home - the historic Temple-Pittman House. As we stood there listening to the music and hearing Jason...Amos read his poem,  I was transported back to my childhood in Fountain City.  On a summer night, the cicadas were so loud sometimes that you could hardly hear each other talk.  Of course we always called them katydids.  I kept my eyes shut through most of the performance and just "lived" in my childhood once again.

One of his paintings was just the shell of the cicada, which is shed and left on a tree.  My brother and I used to take them and chase my sister with them.  She would run from us terrified!  We thought it was hilarious.  That memory popped up as I stood there and I smiled to myself.

We had green rockers on our front porch and Mother would sit out there on a summer night and sing or say poems to us, while the katydids sung and said poems of their own.

Oh to go back to those summer nights of my childhood and hear my Mother quote once more!  "Backward turn backward oh time in your flight. Make me a child again....just for tonight."  - Elizabeth Akers Allen 

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Top image:  Cicada No. 3 . oil on wood panel . 48" x 48".  Bottom image:  Cicada No. 10 . oil on wood panel . 12" x 12" . 2020 Amos Oaks