ANNE STORRS

“Along These Lines”, is a recently completed project connected to the new Portland Orange Line. The work includes a sculpture and in ground medallion at the overpass landings of the Lafayette/ Rhine pedestrian bridge. These sculptures were inspired by the branching pattern of train tracks as seen from the overpass.

Poetry by Cleveland High School student Monica Arnone and Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita Paulann Petersen are inscribed in stainless steel rings that encircle both pieces.

Fabrication by Jim Schmidt 

 Here's a link to the Orange Line Art: https://trimet.org/publicart/orangeline.htm

Oregon Poet Laureate Emerita Paulann Petersen words are inscribed in stainless steel rings that encircle the west side sculpture.

 

NUMEN

Let me grow within 

a tree’s axis, my roots

looped firm into shale and silt.

I’ll be half-rigid,

but as a tree’s lower half

is rigid—roots fixed,

trunk upright, steady.

Only my branches will bend

and buckle in wind,

their leaves tossed to the ground

to be ground into duff.

Steeped into earth, they’ll be

lifted by my roots

again—into leaves.

 

Give me a heart

large enough to pump

fallen rain up and up.

Let each leaf-finger

of my thousandfold hands

unfurl itself—green net

to snare the sun.

Paulann Petersen

 

 

 ROOTS

Grow up and find

your way in the world.

Travel far, but

return to your home,

to rain and the rumble of trains

Explore the earth and

feel foreign soil beneath

your feet. Hear other voices.

Crave your mother tongue.

You have seen the tips

of leaves and swung on

branches.  Yet you return

to your home. Your roots.

 

Monica Arnone, Cleveland High School, class of 2016