It's Not That Easy!

When I first came up with the idea of writing a poem a day and taking a photo a day, I thought: how hard can that be?  Well, I didn't take into consideration the fact that life gets in the way.  A lot! Hard to believe another week has passed and once again I am posting more than one photo and poem in order to catch up. And that's just online.  I haven't printed any photos since mid-January, so the actual scrapbook I've been making is on the couch, gathering dust for the moment.  But since it's raining today, and tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday, I am taking advantage of both so I can get back into the studio, write and organize photos!  But, as someone once said (maybe John Lennon?):  If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!
     The photos today were taken in my gardens this past week.  I am not a great gardener, but I love getting my hands dirty, digging around in the soil, and hoping that something beautiful will grow from my efforts. Doesn't always happen, but the little successes I have had make it worth the trouble.  Even better, the wildlife that hang out in the gardens don't seem to mind whether or not I've kept up with the weeding and trimming! 

And on to the mini-poems:

January 31
Daffodils stretch
toward the sun.  
Wrecklessness?
Or blind faith?

February 1
A garbage truck rudely awakens
slumbering sparrows, sends the geese skyward,
and the old heron catches his breath
high on a tree limb.

February 2
Someone left a light on
in my neighbor's house. 
She's not there.
Gone for good.
But the light reminds me--
we promised to look out
for each other. 
One of us failed.

February 3
Morning echoes Pollard
spilling alizarin and aquamarine
across her canvas.

February 4
When I grow tired of humans
I step out to the pond 
where the geese sail quietly,
disturbed only by their leader
as he circles, pushing them
into flight formation.

Birds

I love cardinals. We have a lot of them hanging out in our yard.  Last year, a pair of them built a nest in the lilac tree right outside the porch window.  The nest was hidden from the outside, but I could clearly see the nest and, eventually, the babies, from inside.  I tried to photograph them, but Mama would get upset every time she saw me coming near the window, and since I didn't want to cause problems for the babies, I decided to leave them alone.  And then one day I peeked through the window:  the birds were gone, the nest abandoned.  Ah well...such is life.  So today's photo is of a mini-painting I did a few weeks ago.

And the poem for today: 

The red-tailed hawk dives from his perch

a kamikaze pilot on a mission.

I can't see his prey--only the rustle of weeds

near the pond's edge.  High in the oak

a group of sparrows huddle

their shoulders hunched against the rain

like bystanders who watch an assault and do

nothing. 

And now it's off to bed....

                                        



Morning Commute

Today's photo is of something I see almost every day on my way to work--and more often than not, I am right behind it, plugging away at 45 mph, stopping at every stop until we reach the Shelby county line.  It's become a challenge to me: if I don't reach a certain intersection by 7:15 a.m., I end up behind that bus.  Sometimes I get to the intersection at the same time, and will the traffic light to stay green so I can get ahead.  Sometimes I'm lucky, sometimes not so much....




And today's poem:  Airplanes line dance across the sky,
                                an odd constellation whose stars break
                                east or west, a curtain of lights
                                parting to reveal the true
                                stars of the night.

Most of these mini-poems are not finished pieces. I plan to use them as starting points for longer pieces, or maybe they won't be used at all.  The main purpose is to get me writing and paying attention more to what's going on around me.  And hopefully, both endeavors will inspire my painting. One can always hope....

                                                                         
                               

We're Not in Kansas anymore.....

Weird weather the last couple of days....cold, snow, rain, warm temps, and today: tornadoes!  Luckily no problems for us, but others in the area weren't so lucky, as you'll see in today's photo. Most of the roof was blown off this building--I pass it every day on my way to and from work.  I hope no one was injured.  There were several trees down in that area, too, as well as a kids' playset. The set was flattened, the slide tossed across the road between tree branches. It hasn't been confirmed whether it was a tornado that caused the damage or straight line winds, but at this point, does it matter? I'm sure to those families, the damage is done and hopefully everyone in those homes is safe and sound.

As for today's poem, here it is:  Lightning slices the morning sky.
                                                   Leaves skitter across the walk and disappear.
                                                   A cardinal goes airborne.  He knows:
                                                   Danger! Danger!
                                         

Playing Catch-up

So...haven't posted in a few days, not because I wasn't taking photos and writing, but because I had a problem getting the photos to upload from my camera. Finally got it--whatever "it" was--working....I think. Anyway, I'm posting a couple of photos and the mini-poems I wrote--and then hopefully I will be back on schedule!  Above, left, is the picture for yesterday, and on the right is the pic for today.  The cat is a stray cat who's been showing up at our doorstep regularly for the past several months.  She, or he, won't let me get close enough to touch, but her timing is impeccable:  no matter when I open the door, he/she appears, seemingly out of nowhere.  The only way I was able to get a picture was to sneak up to the window beside the door and snap the picture as quickly as possible.

The next photo is Molly, my daughter's Scotty.  She was trying to sleep.  We call her "evil Molly"--she's very spoiled--but cute!

Here are the mini-poems written over the last three days.

January 12:  A black-capped chicadee sits

                      deep inside the forsythia

                      near an abandoned hummingbird's nest--

                      barely visible even without cover of leaves--

                      while the cat watches

                      and waits.

January 13:  Rain pelts the windows,

                      streaks down the glass,

                      puddles in mulch.

                      A chickadee seeks shelter

                      beneath the eaves, its feathers

                      wet, on end

                      like my hair after a shower.

January 14:  Snow skips on the wind

                      swirls and circles before landing.

                      The wind whips whitecaps on the pond

                      reminding me of bleak winter days on the lake

                      back home.

January 15:  I am startled to see

                      a young fox

                      poised to strike.

                      A beagle barks.

                      The fox retreats

                      and so do I,

                      relieved not to witness

                      a murder.

Hey, I never claimed to be Robert Frost!

Well, that's all for now, folks!  Tomorrow I'll be back on schedule and back in the studio.  The recent cold weather and snow made me want only to snuggle by the fire with a good book.  Or take a nap. 

Moonlight, Geese and Gnomes--Oh My!

Didn't get a chance to post yesterday, so tonight's a two-fer.  First, the photographs: the one on the left is my gnome door, in the back yard.  Some of us believe in "wee ones."  On the right is a great dane statue we bought several years ago, in memory of our great dane, Daisy.

And the back porch poems for yesterday and today:


January 8, 2012:  Frost on the ground this morning.
                              A lone goose stands watch over the pond--
                              perhaps in search of a place to nest,
                              or a quiet spot to rest.

January 9, 2012:  Moonlight masks the green pond scum
                               turns it into a shimmery lake
                               the geese a silent fleet of ships.

Back in the studio tomorrow--still working on the portrait commission!
                            

Stormy Weather

Spent another night listening to the weather radio, watching tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings roll across the bottom of the TV screen, but thankfully, we suffered only a few minutes of heavy rain, thunder and wind--lost a few more tree limbs, and I swear the weeds have grown another 6 inches overnight.  While I'm grateful for our luck, my thoughts are still with the town of Joplin, Missouri, and those in Alabama who are still reeling from Mother Nature's recent rampage.  I just cannot imagine that kind of destruction, and I hope I never have to see it up close and personal. 

I'm looking forward to a long weekend--haven't had one in awhile, and I have plenty to do, yardwise, though I would prefer to be writing and painting. I'm hoping to make time for some of that, but unfortunately, mowing and weeding take priority, assuming the weather cooperates. 

Thinking of Memorial Day reminded me of a poem I found some time ago.  It was originally attributed to "Anonymous" or sometimes credited to an unknown Native American--but it was actually written by a woman named Mary Elizabeth Frye in 1932.  It's called Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep.  You can read about it here:  Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep.  Here's the poem: 

Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Different subject:  I don't know what's going on with Blogger, but all my Followers have disappeared! Not that I had that many, but I was grateful to have them, and now they're gone. Note to Blogger: Bring back my followers pleeeez! 

Hump Day--ugh...

Up early this morning, heading off to work soon. My computer was running soooooo....sloooooowwww last night. I'm thinking it might be time to trade in the old laptop for a newer, faster model.  I bet I could get a whole lot more painting and writing done if I didn't spend an entire evening trying to visit various sites that take forever to upload. I did manage to get to a couple places of interest.  Try these:  Book of Kells and Coffeehouse for Writers. There are tons more writing and poetry websites, but these two were the most interesting that I landed on last night. 

Pulled out a couple of my writing/poetry journals last night and found several promising entries.  I think keeping a writing journal is a wonderful idea--write in it without worrying about whether or not anything usable will come from it--you'll be surprised what you'll find later on.  Even if it's only a sentence or a phrase--you'll often find yourself thinking "hmmm...I can use that" and off you go!  I've got a couple of little gems that might be the jumping off point for a poem or two. Now if only I had time to actually write them.....