Synkroniciti is glad to welcome back poet and visual artist Diane Funston, based in California. “Broken” features two poems and a mosaic work which all inhabit the realm of fractured fairy tale. The poem “Mosaic Restraints” talks about the process of creating a mosaic collage, fitting together broken pieces which are “Sealed forever/ like all good fairy tales/ held by magical mud.” This delightful work is paired with “Broken Harlequin Romance,” a mosaic collage inspired by Harlequin Romances—a line of books marketed specifically for women and centered around the premise that all would turn out “happily ever after.” These two works create a wry and playful dialogue between the visual and the literary. The last poem, “Curious Reflection” is a dubious tribute to the fatally gifted artiste whose “eyes launched armies and fleets/ scattering like midnight roaches/ when they finally saw the light/ and dropped her name from their roll call.” Talent does not guarantee success, especially when laced with a fatalistic streak, and many such creative spirits break themselves, being emotionally immature and inept at self-care.
Experience Diane’s art and poetry in our September 1st issue, “Broken,” available for purchase here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Diane Funston writes poetry of nature and human nature. She co-founded a women’s poetry salon in San Diego, created a weekly poetry gathering in the high desert town of Tehachapi, CA and most recently has been the Yuba-Sutter Arts and Culture Poet-in-Residence for the past two years. It is in this role she created Poetry Square, a monthly online venue that features poets from all over the world reading their work and discussing creative process. Diane has been published in Synkroniciti, California Quarterly, Whirlwind, San Diego Poetry Annual, Summation, and quite a few other literary journals. Her first chapbook, Over the Falls was published this July 2022 from Foothills Publishing. Diane is also a visual artist in mosaic, wool felting, and collage. Her pieces have been in galleries in the Sacramento Valley.