Land that cuts water
Isthmus
Water that cuts land
River
Water surrounds land
Island
Land surrounds water
Lake
An island and a lake means isolation
Should the shore come to the sea
Or should I swim to the shore
But arms cannot reach the beach
I cannot land where you stand
Now I rest on a bed
A cradle of rocks and tears
My soul has been cut
By water and land
—
Elijah Pringle III is a Philadelphia-born multidisciplinary artist whose work spans radio, television, stage, and film. Deeply connected to spoken word traditions, he brings a rich background as a dancer, choreographer, actor, director, and vocalist. Formerly a host of “Who Do You Love?”, a talk show on PhillyCAM, he currently serves as an advisor for Moonstone Arts Center. His poetry has been featured in various anthologies including Black Fire―This Time (Aquarius Press/Willow Books, 2024) and Moonstone Arts Center’s 25th Poetry Ink Anthology (Moonstone Press, 2021), as well as Compagnia de’ Colombari’s touring hybrid project Whitman on Walls! (WoW!) where local poets and musicians respond to Walt Whitman’s work. Elijah draws inspiration from his failures and credits his true education to five generations of teachers, whose wisdom continues to shape his voice and vision.
