These words remind us that love, beauty and chaos can appear all at once, in all forms including light and sound and at any time
by Brian Howe | illustration by Tim Lytvinenko

Brian Howe lives in Saxapahaw, where he edits books, writes about the arts locally and beyond, and makes poems and music — often at the same time. His poem “Prophecy” is a staple of his performances with the experimental band Streak of Tigers. “I submitted this poem because I associate January with turning back to tally up one year and turning forward to measure the next. But the columns are split to invite branching paths, as any good prophecy should.” 

Tim Lytvinenko is an award-winning artist and photographer with work currently on the side of the Dillon Building in downtown Raleigh, as well as at 21c in Durham. Using his own photographs, Lytvinenko experiments extensively with large-scale print processes inspired by Japanese Kintsugi, which honors brokenness and change. “I loved the poem ‘Prophecy’ and how it’s simultaneously split in two and whole. I found a photo from 2018 that matched the poem’s dreamy feel and that also incorporated a few of the places it wants to take you.”

This article originally appeared in the January 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.