Abstract – thinking, doing, writing.
Note – Editor will now add the writer or artist’s name or initials after their work.
Considering the Dash
When I think of the concept of the dash between two dates. I think of a place and time to begin and a
place and time to finish. I recently read the poem Dash by Linda Ellis it’s a poem that reminds us that it is
important how we spend our time living life.
The dash is given to everyone who’s born. Consider everyone you know well each of them was born.
If there are family members from other generations or at least the generation of your grandparents. I’m
sure there’s a story that tells of the preparation that took place for your arrival.
There are many things that young parents do that prepare for the arrival of a newborn baby. Think of all
the things you already know about newborns even before they are born. Sometimes names are all picked
out family traits and lineage and stories that are passed along from generation to generation.
Let’s get back to that Dash! The dash that’s between the date one is born and the date it tells you the
equation of just how long the person lived. I am quite certain there are countless things that happen in
life and stories too numerous to tell. I said all this to say that the dash is abstract because it’s usually the
same size for everyone, same length and same font, when you write or type it.
Ms. Ellis wants to us to think about our dash in a multiple of ways that are different from the way, you
might have seen it only yesterday.
Now if the dash is a reflection it of how a person lived there are stories beyond stories to be told. When
you read the poem in its entirety. This dash also reflects how fleeting life tends to be.
t is not just when a person was born or even when a person died the importance of the dash is to
remember that it’s how you spend your dash of a lifetime for however long or instantaneous the dash
between the dates last.
I chose the Dash as my abstract subject because uniformly the dash appears to – all to look the same,
The importance of Dash is life and how we live and spend it. What will others remember about how you
spent your dash?
Written by – K. H.
EMOTION CIRCLES – Artwork by A. R.
Artwork by N. D.
Art Work by Mama Kim.
Storytellers at CPA 