This work explored the idea of the ‘call’ from the old Norse ‘kalla’ meaning to ‘cry loudly; summon in a loud voice; to name, call by name’. In this work I am considering how the ‘call’ might be related to a process of grieving—a shout that goes out into a seemingly empty space. This work used the poem ‘Chemin de fer’ by Elizabeth Bishop as its root and was rewritten into a new context.
In the area where I’m from, which is mostly owned by private landowners, old forests are being cut down by profiteers. When I first walked into the area that had recently been cleared I felt deep grief—for the sense of home as I have known it, and for the life and habitats that have been destroyed.
What happens to a call unanswered? Its echo rebounding back to your own ears?