Douglas Ridloff

Symbiosis is a poem about the symbiotic nature of the bees and the flowers; with the one another they thrive.  This poem is a metaphor for the Deaf community and their natural language, American Sign Language.  The bees and flowers are personified, magnifying the distinctive and organic nature of the individual and language.  When that delicate balance is interrupted, devastation follows.  This poem is also a nod to Clayton Valli's poem, Dandelion, exploring the relationship artists have with other artists' works that precede them.