Gina Williams
PAINT BY NUMBERS KIT
Inspired by Large Sailboat on the Ocean, 2017, paint over gravel mixed with glue’ by Khalid Qasim, Guantanamo ‘Forever Detainee’
Scoop some gravel from the recreation yard. Note how the grit, size, shape of it—swirl of dust as you scrape it up, sounds of men playing soccer nearby, now a game of survival— remind of you of your old schoolyard.
Listen for a moment to the walled-off waves, flutter & clang of stars & stripes. Imagine floating like a frigate bird above the silk-spun sea.
Return to your cell. Blend gravel with glue. Notice how the smell of it, the rough stickiness, reminds you of boyhood school days, growing up dreams.
Spread the amalgam of your new world atop a board. Try not to cry out or sing while it dries—punishable with solitary.
Imagine yourself far from hot boots gutting your face in that gravel, your bleeding body roped and dragged across it.
Gina Williams is a freelance journalist, gardener, former wildland firefighter, and visual artist. The author of An Unwavering Horizon, a full-length collection of poetry published in 2020 (Finishing Line Press), her writing and visual art have been featured most recently by Moss, River Teeth, FRAMES Magazine, J. Mane Gallery, Electric Lit, Carve, and The Sun, among others. She holds degrees in journalism and strategic communication from the University of Oregon. Gina lives and creates near Portland, Oregon with her best friend and fellow poet, husband Brad Garber.
Learn more about Gina and her work at https://ginamariewilliams.com/