by Deirdre Beck and Anne Macdonald
Editor’s Note: This pair of work is part of Follow Your Art Community Studios’ 5th annual Art of Words exhibit. For the exhibit, artist Deirdre gave writer Anne her sketch “Mourning Doves” as a prompt to respond to in writing. Likewise, Anne gave Deirdre her written piece “Lavender Bees” to inspire a new piece of art. All four pieces are shown below. The exhibit, which features the work of 28 FYA artists and writers, is on view through October 2025.
Mourning Doves
by Deirdre Beck
by Anne Macdonald
(Prompt)
(Response)
The dew hangs heavy on the grass, the sun peaks over the trees
Summer heat has given way to bracing fall
I shiver in the coolness of my early morning walk
My heart heavy with losses too numerous to count
I walk upright while my world is upside down
I hear the light whistle of their black spotted feathers as they
swoop down on the rocky, grassy ground,
Like winged angels they form a circle, heads in, bodies out,
a side-by-side dance bobbing, shifting, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right,
Collecting seeds and wisdom to digest later
They wrap me in their soft, cooing sounds like a soothing blanket
The world is cold, the sun is warm
What did yesterday promise?
What will tomorrow bring?
What do the morning doves say?
I pause to listen
The cycle of the day begins
Is it one of delight, or despair
Enjoy the warmth while you can
The cold winter light is on the way
Lavender Bees
by Anne Macdonald
by Deirdre Beck
(Prompt)
(Response)
The day had been warm, and the warmth continued after sunset. The bees hovered over the lavender for a moment before diving in to sate their desires, their needs, for pollen. They hovered over the tiny purple blossoms, burying their noses, wings fluttering faster than the human eye could see. They looked like they were floating on the warm waves of scent. I watched them from my chair on the back porch. The light turned off, so they were not disturbed—a perfect activity to take my mind off my day.
Then I heard a muffled clang, as if a shovel had struck a rock. I ignored it, but it happened again. My mind wandered over to what might be causing the sound but swiftly returned to the gentle buzz of the bees on the lavender.
Then another clang. Was Darryl trying to bury something? What could it be this time? Drugs, money, a gun? I didn’t like Darryl enough to want him to know I was curious. When the cops or the drug dealers or the money guys came looking, I didn’t want them to think I knew anything. Someday, they would come, and he would no longer be digging in his backyard.
Deirdre Beck is an artist and art teacher who enjoys creating illustrations and comics. This past summer she taught children’s art programming at FYACS.
Anne Macdonald is a writer with deep New England roots. Her new book, The Macdonalds of Cedar Park, is inspired by members of her rather ordinary, Melrose, MA–based family, involved in some of the extraordinary events of WWII, including the Manhattan Project and the 10th Mountain Division. She has self-published two mysteries and is planning the third. She and her husband live in Melrose and enjoy the beach any time of year and traveling to new places for adventure as well as research. https://anneswritinglife.blog/