are you happy now?

shadow shot sunday - at the zoo

shot shadow, shot sunday, shadow sunday

here's a little world you can all 

join in with, it's very simple and

I hope it's new.  make your own

world up if you want to, any old

world that you think will do.

above us, only sky

skywatch friday
At the Window
i love your winsome expression, your way
of living without compromise, your willingness
to know me as i am, letting me see that
everywhere i've been in the world, it was your
light that i always saw at the window.

this carnival

this
carnival
of
carnivals

first harvest #2

and

then

i met

you.

tulip shadow

shadow

shot

sunday

hi ho

skywatch. . .

. . . friday

goodbye without a trace - yasgur's farm remembered

the dandelions in the picture below sit in the middle of a seventy acre field that was once max yasgur's farm in new york state. it was the location of the woodstock music and arts fair in 1969.

It is about eighty miles from our home and we visited last Sunday.

If you listen close enough you might hear this poem, or perhaps a much better one, lying on the ground:

i recall that weekend, all those
haphazard years ago, we thought
it would rain forever. there was a
neighbor's farm, up the dirt road
from yasgur's where the wind blew
an old gate open and closed with
calm regularity. we thought
togetherness was limitless.

the rain kept falling, the puddles
twitched with indifference and you
said, 'let's go see if we can find a
bathtub on a porch.' i was impossibly
needy and when you made up a phone
number, i thought, 'those are the numbers
i am afraid of when i sleep.' a counterfeit
daybreak wobbled across the sky and you
said goodbye without a trace.

woodstock 2009

what could be better?

what could be 

better than when

you have an important

blog posting to write, and

the batteries die in the wireless

mouse, to find that someone put

fresh replacements in the desk drawer?

father's day

i was awakened by an
assembly of black.

trying
to wrestle the names of
places: mekong, khe sanh,
ap bac, hiep hoa, out of a
fruitless, wintry, tunneling
memory.

they walked on
like a train at night, hitting
me like the last boxcar out
of nowhere.

20 July 1969

in honor of the upcoming fortieth anniversary of the apollo 11 landing on the moon, i thought we'd try an a to z poem. . .

if you'd like you can leave a comment with your additions to the poem and i will add it and link to your site.

also there are three references in this poem to bob dylan song lyrics, see if you can spot them.

absentMoon 3
badMoon rising 6
beckoningMoon
behind the clouds neonMoon 3
blueMoon (lonelyMoon) 4
carolinaMoon 6
cookieMoon 8
crateredMoon 10
dark side of theMoon 7
demiluneMoon 10
ethereal, ecru-coloredMoon 4
eclipses both the sun andMoon

fishMoon 11
for michael collinsMoon
gloomy not watching with K theMoon 2
headfirst over theMoon
in uteroMoon 5
increscentMoon 10
j
kangarooMoon
lopsidedMoon 10
mississippiMoon
Moon, covered by clouds 4
n
orphanMoon
panamanianMoon
psychedelicMoon (happyMoon) 4
q
radiantMoon 9
rocket to theMoon 6
secretMoon
strayMoon
shineMoon
the cow jumped over theMoon 7
under the paleMoon 7
v
watched with my parents instead theMoon 2
x-rays and gamma rays on theMoon
yellowMoon 3
zydecoMoon

2 - thank you holly
3 - thank you Theresa
4 - thank you Jena-Isle
5 - thank you Jennifer
6 - thank you Jessie
7 - thank you Robin
8 - thank you Margo
9 - thank you G
10 - thank you Writing Nag

11 - thank you Grace

our hands

our hands were hungry but they
stayed in our pockets, our pockets
were empty and our voices were
breathless, our hearts were
fractured and bleached beyond
whiteness, beyond reason and firing
sorrow at pointblank range.

whatnot

so, a few weeks ago, I was scanning a bunch of objects. . . I scanned the 'last of the tulips' from a few posts ago. . . I scanned some apple blossoms and some evergreens and a photograph. . . when I was all done, I had all this stuff, 'whatnot,' on the floor. I liked the way it looked, the mess under the desk. So I picked it all up and threw it on the scanner. This is the result. whatnot.

from the gross earth

to speak of these
things and to try
to understand
their nature and,
having understood
it, to try slowly and
humbly and constantly
to express, to press
out again from the
gross earth or what
it brings forth, from
sound and shape and
color which are the
prison gates of our soul,
an image of the beauty
we have come to
understand--that is art.

(James Joyce - A Portrait
of the Artist as a Young
Man)

a to z, a to z

Hi everyone - I just finished all the updates and links on the latest a to z. . . which was I am a to z, and I thought it would be fun to have a look at all the other a to z poems we've done so far.

The first was a to z love.

Next we tackled the color Blue but not with much enthusiasm. It's my favorite color but apparently not ours.

Back in March everyone was talking stimulus and so were we with 'life, liberty and the pursuit of stimulus.'

a to z Vacation was a big hit.

a to z Smile was next.

So, for those keeping track. Here's where we are:

a to z a
a to z Blue
a to z c
a to z d
a to z e
a to z f
a to z g
a to z h

i am a to z

a to z j
a to z k
a to z Love
a to z m
a to z n
a to z o
a to z p
a to z q
a to z r
a to z Smile
a to z Stimulus
a to z t
a to z u
a to z Vacation
a to z w
a to z x
a to z y
a to z z

I never know what will be next poem in the list. . . but hopefully it will appear in the next week or so.



In the meantime, thanks as always, for reading and participating.

horse chestnut blossoms and leaves

These are horse chestnut blossoms and leaves from my neighbor's tree.

I am a to z

". . . with a little gumption and some love a person could go through every single letter of the alphabet." Ron Carlson - Plan B for the Middle Class.

I began to consider working with you on an a to z poem called 'I am' when I read three posts in the space of a few days that made me certain it was a good idea:

Charity Joy Bell on Thoughts. . . wrote 'I am the captain of my soul' from a poem by William Ernest Henley.

And.

Robin at Robin's Nest wrote a poem called 'I am' that had a wonderful line. . . 'I am the navigator of these wings.'

And.

Jennifer at Writing to Survive wrote 'I am power-mad for deadly metaphor.'

So how could I resist?

I am always available to those who are in need 8
I am a small home in a big city
I am beautiful 8
I am candidly ambiguous
I am courageous 8
I am detuning the sky
I am delighted to be here 6
I am dying inside just a little each day 8
I am eager to learn 8
I am elusive and enigmatic 2
I am enlisted now as a reader of this blog 6
I am falling down with laughter
I am forever searching 8
I am from the Philippines 6
I am grieving for things that cannot be replaced 8
I am hungry
I am hungry for approval and affection 8
I am inclusive 4
I am intense 8
I am introverted beyond repair 5
I am just jealousy
I am just one person 8
I am kind 8
I am lonely 8
I am looking for calm
I am Mom 8
I am more than words can contain. sometimes 3
I am never too far away 8
I am off work at midnight
I am only me 8
I am patiently waiting for the love of another 8
I am power-mad for deadly metaphor 3
I am quiet when angry 8
I am quintessentially quizzical 2
I am resourceful 8
I am severely limited in my funding 8
I am suffering from a curvature of the heart
I am sure there's a better way
I am tainted and tortured 8
I am the captain of my soul 1
I am the navigator of these wings 2
I am trying to fit in you know
I am unappreciated in many ways 8
I am unlaced shoes
I am vital to the operation of this household 8
I am wild and untamed 8
I am wind-blown litter
I am what I am
I am xylotomous as Homo habilis 7
I am yearning for a deeper meaning 8
I am zephyr 4
I am zzzzzzzz 8


1 Thank you Charity
2 Thank you Robin
3 Thank you Jennifer
4 Thank you Suz
5 Thank you Holly
6 Thank you Jena Isle
7 Thank you Mark
8 Thank you Shaunalynn

the last of the tulips

Theresa Komor, whose blog, A Bumpy Path. . . is linked here, borrowed this picture of the tulip from me and wrote such a nice posting about it that I thought you might like to read it too.

She wrote, 'in what ways do you know love?'

'The simple words, 'it would be good to see you,' can send a heart flying.'

I can't tell you how much that meant to me.

Enjoy. . .

what happens when. . .

one thousand percent

This posting was originally going to be called 'the last of the tulips. . . '

But.

In the US presidential election in 1972, Senator George McGovern, the Democratic Party candidate selected Senator Tom Eagleton as his vice-presidential running mate.

Shortly after being confirmed as the nominee, it was revealed that Senator Eagleton had suffered from clinical depression and had been treated with electroconvulsive therapy for it. . .

At first, Senator McGovern stated he had 'one thousand percent' confidence that Senator Eagleton could do the job. . . of vice-president and president if it ever came to that. After a couple days, however, Senator Eagleton was, quite unceremoniously, removed from the ticket.

Since then, in the US, anyone using the phrase 'one thousand percent' in support of someone or an idea or has consciously (on unconciously) indicated something less than full support. Usually it means zero support.

For example, I support the NY Jets Football team 'one thousand percent.' I love the Jets. I just don't go to any games at the stadium or watch their games on television or wear any clothes with the team's logo or know any of their players.

Anyway. . . I showed a friend my scan of these tulips, the ones that had just recently expired in the garden and my friend said to me that she loved the image!

How much? I asked. . . .

After hesitating for a moment, she said, 'one thousand percent.'

It was tough to take.

So. . . how about you? Is there anything you love 'one thousand percent?'

a to z Smile

a friend of mine gave me some very good news today and it made meSmile 1
a very warm and very bigSmile 1
big-assSmile 6
botchSmile 8
cannedSmile 8
contagiousSmile 6
delightfulSmile 9
decoratedSmile 9
elitistSmile 9
enchantingSmile 9
everlastingSmile 10
fakeSmile 5
flat-tireSmile
fantasySmile 4
give aSmile 8
hard rain's gonnaSmile
holding handsSmile 4
i like to make my charactersSmile 6
irreverentSmile 1
if the walls could talk i'dSmile 3
infectiousSmile 6
it takes one to know oneSmile
juggling clowns fall down i'llSmile 3
kick boxers slip and knock out each other i'llSmile 3
logjamSmile
let me see you make himSmile
lovers making out in public i'llSmile 3
makeshiftSmile
moon rocks and stardust make meSmile 3
neon lights in vegas make meSmile 3
opium on a summer rush makes meSmile 3
patrick's antics starfish on spongebob make meSmile 3
predatorySmile 6
qualitySmile 6
queenlySmile 6
sadSmile 5
shySmile 5
snuggles sweet shySmile 7
t
u make meSmile 4
v
w is home from his trip and that makes meSmile 2
warmSmile 7
wolfishSmile 6
x
yearningSmile 7
you draw aSmile
you have made my heartSmile 1
zanySmile 7

1 Thank you Charity Joy Bell
2 Thank you Holly
3 Thank you Zorlone
4 Thank you Robin
5 Thank you Shaunalynn
6 Thank you Susan
7 Thank you Suz
8 Thank you Larry G
9 Thank you Jena Isle
10 Thank you Writing Nag
and
Thank you Beltran Studios

a to z Vacation

all I ever wantedVacation
beachVacation #

because I need aVacation +

best everVacation ^

cross country drive to denver flagstaff grandcanyon moabnewmexico sanfrancisco utahVacation ###

come alongVacation ^

dreaming ofVacation ***

do it againVacation ^

elephant ride in thailand's jungleVacation *#
enoughVacation^

fishing piranha in south africaVacation *#

foreverVacation ^

forget packing we'll buy it thereVacation %

going homeVacation ^

grasses are greener at my anklesVacation *#

had to get awayVacation

hhuhuhVacation ##

hundreds of laughter in georgiaVacation *#
i pick up seashells when i am onVacation *
i sure hope you have a greatVacation **

in loveVacation ^

jamaican rum and island living is the life for meVacation **

joke of aVacation ^

kick-the-can kind of funVacation %

looking forward to our youth camp this end of MayVacation ##

lingeringVacation ^

making love onVacation ^
me going onVacation #

memories of the bestVacation ++

never againVacation ^

not quite back fromVacation #

on job training is noVacation ##

over already?Vacation ^

privateVacation ^

queen'sVacation ^

reliving my childhoodVacation

swimming with stingraysVacation **

terribleVacation ^

unfinishedVacation ^

view-filledVacation ^

we are onVacation

why not?Vacation ^

xylophones sang allVacation %

yes it's true we are onVacation

young at heartVacation ^

zebras, lions and tigers oh myVacation **

zzzzzVacation ^

* Thank you Charity

** Thank you Suz

*** Thank you Robin

# Thank you Susan

## Thank you LINGZ

### Thank you Holly

+ Thank you Writing Nag

^ Thank you Shaunalynn

++ Thank you G

% Thank you Theresa

*# Thank you Zorlone

Thank you also to Ian and Teresa

this posting needs a title that makes sense - All Things Can Be Done, But In A Nice Way

Every few days, I'll change the title on this posting. Thank you everyone who commented, I am going to use your titles!

Today's title, "All Things Can Be Done, But In A Nice Way" is from Charity at Thoughts. . .

"The Little Daffodil That Wouldn't" is from Suz at Whispering Words.

Future Titles will be from Shaunalyn at The Art and Science of Parenting.

Holly at Earth to Holly.

And

Robin at Robin's Nest

I also want to thank Susan Sonnen at Susan Muses for saying the first (un)title of this posting made her smile.

Thanks also to. . . Rita T at Writing with Wings.

Karen at the Karen Chronicles.

and

Jennifer at Writing to Survive.

we've been pumping 460 volts into the ground day and night in upstate ny, for the past week and still haven't been able to force the daffodils out of the ground.

over near the dictionaries - #3

. . . no more
than a picture,

no less than surrender.



i heard your voice. 'you're a real hotshottt with
the ol' hindsight,' you said.

in 1969, over near the flowers, i'd said, 'i, you know,
love you' and i tried to take it back when i saw all
the gears slipping in your heart.

hotshottt was one of the words you added to the
OED, hot, hotter, hottest, hotshottt. over near
the dictionaries.

it was only blind luck that i met your mother
last year. she was going back home to florida and
i was waiting tables at the airport TGI-Flydays. i don't
know what you told her when you would not see me
anymore.

the sun was flooding the terminal at a callous
angle.

'you were always a boy of vast ambition,' she said,
and laughed at me and looked around. her body so thin
it seemed unlivable. a young woman walked past with
a chevron of young children following. she watched
them, and a single memory seemed to thaw, or maybe
she heard you too.

'she called you hotshot.'

I could see she knew a lot, seen us kissing in her kitchen,
knew i'd spilled the ginger-ale, knew we'd decoded the sky.

'hotshottt with four ts," I said.