Former university professor of photojournalism, visual communication and media writing, Hampton began her career as a teacher in Missouri's schools, Boone County, St. Louis and St. Charles counties. Her best recognized publication is a 1990 university textbook co-authored with Angus W. McDougall, titled, Picture Editing and Layout; a guide to better visual communication . Hampton's photos were exhibited in shows and published in magazines, books and newspapers since 1973. During 30 years of teaching and editing, Hampton collected awards for speaking, teaching, and publications design. She edited four photo-related books since 1979. Her current work includes book editing, writing poetry and novels. Her part-time business, Bluestocking Editorial Services, is in an office in the deep woods and rocky hills of Bedford County, Tennessee. |
Veita Jo Hampton |
Water Beetle & History of Boats I Water beetle on a leaf, a perfect sail Duck with waxy feathers, feet for rudders Fish equipped with tiny oars, strong aft motor Turtle trusts his floating log for warmth Lily pads form a path across the bog Thick green roads for snakes and singing frogs. Once after fire, shelter, weapons, words, Compelled was man to create what he observed, For easy transport over water; he'd need boats. One day years ago along the Tennessee The Yellow, Yangtze, Nile, possibly the Mississippi, Future sailors contrived a carved-out log, or, plank, A craft of woven reeds to fulfill needs beyond Their space, to search for food, or land on which To hunt. Inflated skins were known to float And may indeed have been man's first real boat. Little evidence of this exists before thousands of years Ago when humans simultaneously made note Of floating trees, bobbing buckets, wooden bowls. They learned that families could survive Suspended on the liquid surfaces of lakes or streams, They could sail distances to better space to cultivate On richer, ever-farther reaching riverbanks. II Floating homes became necessity as wealth and power Moved inland and those in need of food remained afloat. To sail away from danger, unlike those behind The wooden boards or fine, brick walls Or sandy concrete mixed with straw Or marble palaces with bamboo-covered walks. Human independence includes The River, and The People need their tight connections to the land Would that water was immune to waste from Crowds, work, war and force of change. Would that humans were immune to waste from Plants, progress, peace and force of change. Beetle crawls from leaf to reed for need of food Duck lays eggs on grass above the beach Fish feeds and breeds in his own element Turtle leaves his sun-warmed log to seek a mate Lillies float as small white bowls within the fog People row their wooden boats across the bog. c. April 19, 2007, Veita Jo Hampton |
Venturing Into Foreign Territory Grasshopper on the edge of the fishbowl. Blessed with perfect means of escape He slips along the edge of smooth glass. No way to get a grip on the rim of potential disaster. So he sits still, makes no sound. Water in the bowl is clear and deep. Jagged rocks like words line the bottom where carp, swordfish, couple of mollies dart, swish, splash in each other's wake. Bodies warm the water, lost scales and carbon dioxide cloud the glass. Grasshopper in time obliged to find leafy sustenance, security elsewhere, leaves the slippery edge of the bowl in one great leap of instinctive faith. Later, devouring grain, he sees himself in the eye of the snapper blinking below. c. February 9, 2007, VJH |
