Scribbled Lives Week 43—Spooky

I’m still hanging out with the writings of Shel Silverstein after discovering him so late in my life. Although this poem is not very spooky (however, if I was inside a lion I might feel differently), it does have a ‘dark side’ of sorts. This poem is from the collection Where the Sidewalk Ends.

It’s Dark in Here
I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it’s rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion’s cage
I’m afraid I got too near.
And I’m writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it’s rather dark in here.

A workshop with Carol DuBosch on Ben Shahn letters has me practicing this quirky loose alphabet—it seemed perfectly suited to this text.

Pen White and folded pen for the Ben Shahn lettering. Using pens with different weights (Uniball Signo 0.8 and Gelli Roll 0.5) for the handwriting adds textural interest.