Around the campfire. . .

We woke bathed 
in dew and mist
under layered clouds 
penetrated 
by the crimson sky 
of a new day.

Come on my love 
put your boots on 
we will be riding 
from dawn to dust –

 In the stillness 
of the  mountain air 
the distinctive
crackle of dry wood
echoes between the trees.

As I turn to feed the fire 
sparks flicker and fly
when the morning
catch of the day
is set upon
the hot coals 
of carnal desire

 to be continued ...

FF 55

We woke bathed
in dew and mist
under layered clouds
penetrated
by the crimson sky
of a new day.

Come on my love
put your boots on
we will be riding
from dawn to dust –

The distinctive
crackle of dry wood
echoes between the trees
as I turn to feed the fire
sparks flicker and fly
when the morning
catch of the day
is set upon
the hot coals
of carnal desire

 to be continued

Heart it

Freedom is. . . 

When 

The pursuit of happiness

Becomes 

Our personal priority to

Celebrate 

The freedom we enjoy  

As the sounds 

of the 4th

Start to be heard.

Fin

Sunday 160

True freedom can not happen

 until all of God's children 

are free around the world.

Martin Luther Kings Address at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Aug 1963)

Excerpt

" Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children...."

...."And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

 for the entire speech go here: Martin Luther King 

images: 1st smashing magazine;
2nd Willamette River-- Sellwood -Portland Oregon Eagle & nest ;
3rd tumblr:Earth light

Summertime - Every flower has a spirit.

If I had not gone
     in the garden
          I might have
              missed the jewels

                        within my vision
                                      calling me 
                                                 to come closer

     sensuality awakened
            to a strange seduction
                     from the heady fragrance

 
            by the velvet petals
                  with slender stems 
                          twisting through time,

  moving in a spiral 
         with flame imbued faces
               glowing in a crimsoned sky. 

Fin

 

 Friday Flash 55

 Photos 2,3, & 4  From artist Cecelia Webber  who creates flower and butterfly assemblages from hundreds of nude human form photographs. Cecelia’s photographic compositions can take up to two months to produce due to the complexity of finding the right pieces, for more of her art go to her website here: http://ceceliawebber.com/category/flowers-series/

photo 5 woman with orchids by Anoush Abrar

My favorite Summertime song by Janis Joplin

Unzipped -- Change my day ...

Tickle me quick fill me 

with sensual laughter tickling 

my sense and my senses
slowly sinking me
down to my knees
while I explode with

peals of laughter and
experience  waves of
seemingly irrational elation;
affectionately unpredictable,
sensual evolution & friendly mischief,
play on and color my world today
with plenty of love and laughter..

Fin

Flash Friday 55

poem or verse in 55 words.

images via tumblr

Then and Now

Love
It comes it goes
Like water flowing
Like the wind that blows
Like a leaf but not a leaf
Lies discarded by the road,

Now --

after the morning rain,

what is left? 

But drop after drop 

of parted lover’s tears, 

bitterness dissolved  - 

a strange peace flows through me

Then.. .

I think about the tangle 

of wounded tendrils, the thorns, 

often go unnoticed
until they draw crimson red blood. 

oh the passion and the pain -

the reality behind the lover’s dance

reflected in the mirror world of the water,

Who or what will give me the power 
to transform the mirror into a doorway 
that opens into a pure living intimacy ? 

to turn 

the Now into

a shared timeless happiness 

Not for us now, perhaps never for us

I gaze as if in an eternal trance as
droplets of water 

sprinkled by swaying branches
fall off in perfect elegance

forming hundreds of tiny ringlets 
in the deep dark waters 

White clouds overhead deceives us

with its calm mirror reflection,

the sky has its own threat
hidden behind its delusion
with its soothing  water colors,
lays above our head
with  a scent of uncertainty

we both now realize 

that we had gone too far

to ever find our way back.
fin

One Stop Poetry 

photos: fffound 1,2, 8, 9
#3 rodney smith
#4 tumblr underwater ballet
#5 Istanbul underwater hotel
#7 tumblr -Hermes

Writing that Great 21st century novel

"The notes I handle no better 

than many pianists. 

But the pauses between the notes—

ah, that is where the art resides." 

-Artur Schnabel, in Chicago Daily News, June 11, 1958.



French Connection Piano - Spring Summer 2011 

As I think about the pattern and rhythm 

of what I do I realize that I have a

lot of different selves in and out of blogging. 

I just spent the last couple of weeks

writing research papers, -- 

always the scientist, the scholar, 

the rational mind is well connected for me.

  However I also realize there is another dimension to myself that needs expression my feminine side that wants to sing and dance, 

pick flowers and getting around to writing

that great 21st century novel this year. 

Although, I have a confession as I grow--well older

I find that writing long winded research papers,

has sent both my mind and pen wandering 

and saying and writing less then more -- 

in the interlude

I found great freedom in writing poetry.   

 Fin

 

 

photo credits: 1st French Connection spring summer 2011

lady in white hat-rodney smith -
tumblr: lady at window; two roses in book; young woman with tree book; down the rabbit hole;woman in bookcase

Thank You To Our Fallen Heroes And Their Families:

"Although no

sculptured marble

should rise 

to their memory, 

nor engraved stone 

bear record 

of their deeds, 

yet will their

remembrance

be as lasting
as the land

they honored.."

- Daniel Webster -
 

Time Framed ----- With Each Step

"In the midst of the ordinary time (kronos),

extraordinary time (kairos) happens."

quote from Dead Poets Society, Professor John Keating

With each step....

I step out on

this mystifying path,

filled with surprises

around every bend.

The “choice” taken has

made me strong

when I was weak. 

With each step -forward

I remember - what I left behind,

and can never forget

all those years

of love- laughter-tears, 

&

with each step

the distance grew

between you and me.

Fin 

Friday flash 55

hosted by g-man

write a poem in 55 words

With Each Step

I step out on
this mystifying path,
filled with surprises
around every bend.
The “choice” taken has
made me strong
when I was weak.
With each step -forward
I remember - what I left behind,
and can never forget
all those years
of love- laughter-tears,
and with each step
the distance grew between
you and me.

Fin

photos: via tumblr - 4 through 9 rodney smith

 

Antigone's Arete

Tossed up by

the deep–sea-cold 

alone shell blown by
 'Winds of change' 

 

sails well across 

white-cap breakers 

Cast -off by its owner

destiny unknown –
dreams change

doubts departing

dancer upon
waves of light 

without reserve

 Sirens singing
Yes to ‘Arete’

fragile heart abates,

 Calm is the soul
that is emptied
of all self.

Fin

Friday Flash 55

hosted by g-man

 write a poem in 55 words

Antigone's Arete
Tossed up by
 the deep – sea- cold
Alone shell blown by
 “Winds of change”
sails well across
White-cap breakers
Cast -off by its owner
Destiny unknown

Dreams change
Doubts departing
Dancer upon 

Waves of light
Without reserve
Sirens singing
Yes to ‘Arete’
Fragile heart abates,
Calm is the soul
that is emptied
of all self.

Fin

The noun 'Arete' is Greek for 'excellence, goodness, virtue'. Its application to life is seen in one's living up to one's full potential. It also is seen in one's handling adversity with courage and strength.

The goodness or virtue of a person.   Aretē is therefore identified with what enables a person to live well or successfully, although whether virtue is then just a means to successful life or is an essential part of the activity of living well becomes controversial.

Antigone's Arete is shown by her giving Polyneices a decent burial in defiance of Theban King Creon's non burial order. She shows it again, after her arrest, when she says that Creon's order doesn't come from Zeus, the supreme god of Thebes. So she recognizes, and never backs down from, life's guiding principle of obeying god given laws.

According to Aristotle the various virtues consist in knowing how to strike a mean between opposing vices of excess and defect. Greek thought also paves the way for the Christian ideal that the fullest development of aretē for human beings consists in a self-sufficient life of contemplation and wisdom.
The Sanskrit word kusala is used in Buddhism to represent the same association of goodness with the skill of being a good human being.



photos Chiluly glass taken in Tacoma, Wa,   #4 & 5 The girl from Atlantis Vogue May 10 voyons-voir #6 Rodney Smith woman on plater