This picture illustrates more than one aspect of "My World" including
an enjoyment of doing art works from torn magazine paper; and
an enjoyment of writing.
I wrote the following to go with this collage.
Also, I am a Chaplain, and work in Grief Counseling.

"STONE LION" by Carol J. Phipps © 1998
The inspiration for this work was one of the lion statues at
St. James Square in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and the infamous annual St. James Art Fair.
The following prayer was written later as
I reflected on the stone lion collage and my experience with cancer.
Thank you God Almighty for friends,
Stone friends, who would appear untouched, yet
wait in the stillness between the layers of colors--
they seem to endure ceremonial celebrations
filled with all the colors of the color-wheel; they wait seemly;
pain fills their eyes and contributes to the unseemly
calm, motionless crying, alarming alertness; though aloof, their eyes speak.
Are they moved with a heart that aches to the
rhythmic beating of behind-the-scenes dramas of lives lived
with chronic pain unspoken?
Do their eyes burn with thoughts of pains unspeakable?
"The Stones will cry out," the Word of God says.
What was that context?
Stone friends only appear untouched.
They are waiting in the stillness between the layers of colors.
Dear God, do they not give depth to the whole vision!
Solid! Sad! Seemingly unmoved, unmovable,
they weep in their stillness; with those who weep, they weep!
They see what some others possibly don't see; Seeing between and behind the colors,
Stone friends see shades of gray,
blacks mingled with blacks,
whites mingled with whites,
white-blacks mingled with much gray;
Not being seen,
Stone lions see and cry out, even in their stillness.
Who will hear?
I'm beginning to hear the "Stones" cry --
I'm beginning to hear silent emotional pain, silent physical pain
crying out like stones cry.
Who can hear it?
Who among us is prepared to listen
for pain undeclared and respond appropriately?
What is appropriate? Joining the stones stillness?
Preparing to cry out as stones-un-stifled?
As stones stifled!
The stones will cry out!
Cry out stones!
Cry out!
Yes!
Good God, when
Christ is present,
Can the stones crying be heard?
Christ, be present in me!