Root & Branch, a Poetry Journal

 

Given poems, we were to devise a concept in which to portray them on the page. Another element to the project was the task of mass customization. I used the art of handwriting to jot phrases in the book that carry the theme along.  I noticed that all the poems were about human relationships in some way--some sad, some uplifting. I decided to group the sad poems in the beginning and labeled them “Roots” or what I interpreted as, “pain beneath the surface.” The book ends on a happier note in the “Branch” or “fruit that is to come” section. Finally, on the last page an organic root is shown. I’ve handwritten a message upside down. The reader then, must flip the book to read the message. The irony is that, as the book is flipped, the root now appears as a branch. The message written is ”Life’s roots can become branches. It’s all in how we look at it.”