culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

sit in place

Do you give yourself time to be present?

window blinds

streaks of the sun

dance on the wall

while we may

have aspirations

and dreams for change

we should also

lean into living with

what’s here first

to gain more perspective

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

prework

Do you feel prepared?

recently

the watermelon

became sweeter

preparation

or even plans

mean nothing

if we decide

not to do anything

with them

in the first place

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

images

Does time and place matter to you?

scrolling up

the bridge collapses

into silence

whether we view

artwork

in a gallery or

on our phone

will we be able

to see the story

the artist is telling?

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

word for word

Do you follow instructions?

ikea manual

a splinter in hand

a chair in the other

for some of us

following instructions

seems second nature

while others deem

and prefer to rather use

their own mind

to figure things out

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

swish

Are you playing offense, defense, or both?

zero seconds left

the basketball travels

into the stands

floater

bank

tip-in

put-back

dunk

how we score and defend

depends on the play

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

factoring in

What does the price tell you?

stone lantern

falling rain collects

at the basin

where an object was made

what material was used

what purpose does it serve

who made it

are a few factors

we need to consider

other than looking at the price

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

recess

What games did you used to play as a kid?

elementary school

dandelions swept up

into the soccer game

no matter how much

the school we used

to go to changes

the games we used

to play like tag, hopscotch,

duck, duck, goose, and more

stay the same

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

sprinklers

Do you let nature take it’s course?

pink dogwoods

blossoming and dancing

for the neighbors

water the plants

on a schedule

or until we decide

to turn them off

and let nature

take its course

and let the rain fall down

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

tofu

What are you made of?

a block of tofu

handed to the old man

leaving prison

is made from soybeans

and once they are

soaked, strained, drained

blended, molded, and cooked

they can never return

to their original form

just like us

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

mistakes

What have you learned from making mistakes?

dripping faucet

turns the puddle

into a lake

are opportunities

in disguise for us

to reflect on

to take ownership on

to make a plan from

to ask the tough questions

and to keep moving forward

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culture, community, creativity Tomosumi culture, community, creativity Tomosumi

the pursuit

Why do you care about solving problems?

rabbits scurry

around pine needles

to the meadow

to get to a better place

such as first

in a race

is a problem

for us to solve

if we care enough

about the task at hand

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culture, creativity, community Tomosumi culture, creativity, community Tomosumi

being

How do make others feel?

printing machine

coloring paper

writing history

a good person

doesn’t get us

promoted but it

does tell others

they can trust,

confide, and get delighted

by our presence

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

old headphones

What do you think about growing up?

black snake

curling up

into a hole

the leather

may be peeled

the cord

might be bent

but we will still

have the music

in our heads

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

dodge

What are you avoiding?

lifting the net

scaling the wall

a mound of shrimp

duck

dip

dive

avoid it

while we can

until things

catch up to us

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

makes us weep

What makes you cry?

cutting onions

a knife releases

ancient curses

our tears

may be hard

for others

to understand

unless they know

what has occurred

in our lives

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

city or country

Where do you prefer to live?

dust settles

on tabletops where

cacti once stood

will we surround

ourselves with

an environment

that encourages

and flourishes in

hustle and bustle

or quiet and calm?

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

magnetic

Who impresses you?

morning songs

a jogger passes

the bus stop

someone may stand out

to us because they

are genuine

are supportive

are confident

are motiving us

to live in the moment

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

pets

What can you learn from animals?

door bell rings

the delivery driver

waits for barking

interact with

the world

through trusting

their instincts

just as we do

even if we have

different languages

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creativity, culture, community Tomosumi creativity, culture, community Tomosumi

different kind of thank you

How do you thank others?

at the podium

the flowers rest

above graduation caps

a box of chocolates

a hand-written note

a simple favor

a pat on the back

a planned activity

a few actions by us

make all the difference

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culture, community Tomosumi culture, community Tomosumi

knot and not

Are you trying to control your life?

perspective

a stream of wine

reaches a black hole

the knots

we tie can be

unknotted while

not much can be

done about

everything that happens

over time

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