Poster Image

Bright Sunlight Switches

$20

Item#: 2020SYR01

Purchase Details

11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.

You also receive…

An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.

Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.

Poem Inspiration Location

Bright Sunlight Switches

poster information

Description

Bright sunlight switches
to soaking rain—we all run
as saxophone plays.

We do our best to take advantage of the wealth of enjoyable opportunities available to us in Central New York. But sometimes, the weather has plans of its own. And still, we try.

I wrote this following a particularly abrupt weather event at an outdoor concert last summer. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment, I decided to try to express the event in a haiku.

This haiku reminded me of all of our local musicians, but the street musician closest to my heart is the late guitarist Elijah Harris Jr. His love of Syracuse was powerful. He brought people together through his performances, fostered happiness, and brightened our city streets. I wanted to highlight the impact of music, arts, and community and how those three tie Syracuse together.

I also wanted to depict Syracuse's South Side, because that hasn't been featured as intimately as other areas. Cafe Sankofa stands out as caring for the well-being of others—just like Eli did. These contributors to our city deserve more recognition and celebration.

I had been dreaming of participating in the Poster Project since I was in high school. As a visual storyteller, it's rewarding to me to illustrate the extraordinary that others may not see.