Quaranzine: Issue 1

Quaranzine: A collection of creative works from our community

Quaranzine: Issue 1

April 15, 2020
Quaranzine is a collection of creative works from the community that documents how we responded to this strange time we find ourselves in.

Click on the image to see it full size.

chalk drawing of multi-colored shapes on a driveway — Stefanie Wines, “FINALLY we did something fun! :)” – My children and I (ages 8 & 5) did a chalk art work on our driveway. My oldest declared, “We FINALLY did something fun!” 🙂 Taking a break from online learning and doing some art out on a beautiful day!

I Almost Forgot by Shelby Oppermann I almost forgot. This morning I gradually woke to a soft, rosy light through the bedroom window and the chirps of the birds, with wispy memories of a vague dream and feeling safe, warm and loved. Maybe I had the rare, gentle dream where you are with a loved one and it seems like they are in the room with you, only to wake and start to slowly realize that they passed long ago. A few minutes of blissful ignorance. I make my sleepy way down the hall towards the morning’s necessity, gradually noticing a slow tightening of the muscles and the feeling of something important in the back of my mind that I was supposed to remember which fills my emerging consciousness. Then I remembered. And feel, not unlike Alistair Sim playing Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol, “I don’t deserve to be so happy”. Guilt, and then sadness, pour in where happiness once lived. How can I be so arrogantly happy while the world is struggling? I replenish my faith. Time for faith to take over my mind and soul, replace the fears, the anxieties with faith in the humans of the Earth, faith in science, faith in my beliefs. Time to distract, to create, to act in faith that all that we have known will be restored. I breathe. — Shelby Oppermann, Mechanicsville, “I Almost Forgot” – This was a morning essay upon waking after enjoying a rare night of peaceful dreams during this crisis.

Link to YouTube video of On the Road, by Crosby Coford — Crosby Cofod, “On the Road” – A song I wrote about life struggles and our desire to beat them. Whether it be drinking, loneliness, whatever may haunt you just know it will get better and you are not alone. Many travel out on the road and it’s ok. Listen to the song!

a mother, father, and two young boys stand on their front porch dressed in animal print and holding dogs and stuffed tigers — Beth Graeme, Port Republic, “Quarantine Porch Family Project” -This photograph was taken as part of a community project running through Southern Maryland called the Front Porch Project that is just a small local arm of a larger national mission.

two photos of a green hellebore and a cat sniffing the hellebore — Merideth Taylor, Park Hall, “Green Hellebore in Green Bottle without and with Cat” – This is just for fun. The kind of thing that happens when you’re inside with too much time on your hands.

Embrace: Something we've all grown accustom to going without, showing pride and strength in needing no one, no friends, no feelings, no attachments, worn like badges of honor, until the choice is no loner yours, all sense of control snatched away, held at the mercy of the universe, so when we begin to stand a little closer again, sit together again, touch, remember how easily that can change, and how the earth healed without us. -l.f. — Latasha Ford, Lexington Park, “Embrace” – I wrote this on 4-11-2020 specifically for the Quaranzine. It’s about human interaction, connecting and how we take it for granted.

Old Gods Eric Variz I pray to the Old Gods, the ones without name. Those we have hurt and caused all this pain. I worship the Old Gods, the ones without face. To meet their eyes is to feel overwhelming disgrace. The Old Gods protect us despite the hurt. With arm of bough and body of dirt. Air. Wind. Rain. Storm. Matter with substance from something without form. Ageless. Nameless. Blameless. They give and give and give and give and give So we may live. The air in our lungs Blood in our veins Life in our bodies Is it worth all their pain? They are the source The source of All. For us to rise It seems they have to fall. — Eric Variz, California, “Old Gods” – I think a lot about how much trees provide us and how we typically treat them so poorly in return. I wrote this poem to express the shame I feel whenever I think of how much trees as a species has had to sacrifice on our behalf. The only time that I’ve ever felt the presence of God has been while surrounded by trees in the woods. I’ve also attempted to portray that feeling of being in the presence of something greater, and ultimately limitless, in the wording of this poem.

photo of people standing in line about 6 feet apart — Frank Roth, Waldorf, “The New Normal, Social Distance” – Photo taken at a grocery store with folks only being allowed in one at a time. The new signs of the time..health first and keep you distance.

close up of a deer — Bernard Matus, Leonardtown, “Prey” – This is part of a new series on Predator and Prey

During our life we are constantly bombarded with questions, choices, and wonder about the future. Often, it can be difficult to decide what is important and what is not; what actions are appropriate right now, and which are not. We become so muddled throughout the days, weeks, months, and even years that we lose grip on what matters. Times of change and uncertainty unleash new worries, sometimes minute by minute. But life is about pace. It’s the long game, not the quick dash. Sitting in front of my home office window as I try to adjust my work routines to this new normal, I realize I’m lucky enough to have a decent view. My small yard, with a Japanese Maple at its center, exists in a flurry of activity. Watching the deep maroon, at times ember red, leaves bloom and unfurl has been an opportunity to soak in a reminder. The bees and other flying insects going to and from another flowering tree in the yard have not lost their sense of purpose. They endure and continue. The neighborhood road, stretching along the length of my yard, has seen more foot traffic than I remember. Maybe I just never stopped long enough to notice. I’ve witnessed families, young and old, toddlers teetering or running full out, cyclers riding, long boarders skating, folks walking at their own pace; and this doesn’t even cover the pets I’ve seen! The life that continues, from insects to plants to people and more is a reminder. A general slowing down of life has taken place. I don’t even experience time the same way because it seems to pass more slowly than before (except for weekends, they still seem to fly by). But what was once the traditional work week has become altered, lines are blurred by the invasion of our work space into the cocoon of our homes. Even still, a change of scenery is something for which I am grateful. After reeling at the outset of this pandemic, we have largely adapted to the new normal and made it work. Yes, there may be some anxiety and uncertainty swirling in our daily thoughts. Change is not easy, and it’s even more difficult to implement. But I’m encouraged by watching the world outside my window everyday and seeing how things continue to progress. Spring has brought out the flowers and the leaves, the insects and other animals. It makes us eager to come out of our homes. We may not be able to interact with one another the same way but we can be comforted in knowing that natural processes continue. Uncertainty is a part of our world, and it will never go away. But if nature is able to adapt to the continuing changes forced upon it by man, so, too, can man adapt and flourish when faced with changes in nature. — Brandon Russell, Leonardtown, “Change of Pace” – Brief essay about the change of routines due to COVID-19.

A scrabble board with tiles spelling out social distancing — Anna Coughlin, “Social Distancing 2020” – My project is a mixed media collage using a Scrabble game board as the base. It includes areas representing missed events such as a domino for games we cannot play with my elderly godparents and a Delaware Dept. of Health stamp for a cancelled creative retreat in Bethany Beach. An empty toilet paper roll hangs from the bottom representing the scarcity in stores. Other areas contain social media shares such as the “Draw Yourself” challenge. I found creating the piece allowed me to visually express my concerns about the Coronavirus social distancing process.

twelve photos in a grid of a young girl making a cardboard Chuck e Cheese and eating pizza — Stacey Herron, “Quarantine Chuck E. Cheese” – We made a cardboard Chuck E. Cheese since we cannot visit in person!

a heron made from found objects — Tessie Foreman, Chaptico, “Dinner Catch” – I Create art out of things washed up on our local shorelines. Such as seaglass, stones, wood, fishing debri. This piece is of an abstract bird, resembling a great blue heron standing proudly with his dinner Catch in his murky creek habitat. His legs and feet are of a type of bone, as is the duck flying . His body and the fish are made of shells and the netting is of a clam bait bag found ashore. My art page can be found on Facebook @ Washed Up.

photo of a restaurant store with a temporarily closed sign and a cardboard Corona Beer bottle hiding behind the sign — Wednesday Davis, Leonardtown, “Trying to Hide” – We love walking around for fresh air and exercise, although you never know what may be lurking in the back.