My Karma Ran Over My Dogma
I was writing a poem about Karma but it has been lost. Guess it was just my Karma!
The WordPress Prompt: Karma Chameleon–let’s pretend that science has proven that karma is a thing. Your words and actions will influence what happens to you in the future. How (if at all) will you change your ways?
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/karma-chameleon-2/
The NaPoWriMo Prompt: write a poem that involves an urgent journey and an important message. The WordPress Prompt: Karma Chameleon–let’s pretend that science has proven that karma is a thing. Your words and actions will influence what happens to you in the future. How (if at all) will you change your ways?
Ollie Ollie Oxen
Dreams are the playground of the day.
It is time to take that avoided journey
that sends me out
in pursuit of myself,
then gives me morning
to come in free.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/karma-chameleon-2/
Early Birds at the Beach
When I am at the beach, the first light of day for me is always the moon, which is still up at 6 when I begin my beach walk. If I’m lucky, I’ll make it the 5 miles to Boca de Iguana and back before the sun is fully up. Much as I love sunlight, my particular pigment demands that I enjoy it from the shade.
As the sun comes up but does not yet peek over the mountains and palm trees, the birds and I comb the beach. I find an already-drying starfish. The Caracara bird finds a fish, the sandpipers and gulls various delicacies barely buried in the sand. Before me, I see only two earlier human birds than I, their evidence left by their footprints.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/early-bird/
Social Stew
I’ll admit that I read Facebook and post on it as well.
When I can’t “ping” on WordPress, it’s my idea of Hell.
I care what followers think of me and follow every friend,
though facts about their lives and loves never seem to end!
It’s great to know that Cousin Pam soon will be a granny,
but must I know a mere acquaintance lifted up her fanny?
Ann Garcia hates my riddle. See how she berates me?
On OK Cupid, no one writes and no one ever dates me.
I’m not brief enough for Twitter and Instragram escapes me.
I’d post myself on YouTube, but no one ever tapes me!
I don’t know what they are and so I am forever gagged
on Pinterest and Flickr as well as Vine and Tagged.
MeetUp and also VK are eschewed at my behest.
My link to Linked In’s broken and I’ve overlooked the rest.
One day I’ll be less social. Say, “I’ve been there and done that.”
I’ll close my blog and Facebook, unpin pictures of my cat.
My life will become private. I’ll be quiet as a mouse.
If you should choose to see me, I’ll be right here in my house.
My blog I won’t read constantly to see what viewers say.
I will not count my “likes” or compare viewers day-to-day.
I will not be obsessive. No more followers will I seek.
Still, now and then I might have cause to go online and peek.
For though I am compulsive and my posts have become endless,
the only thing that might be worse would be to end up friendless!
The WordPress Daily Prompt: What’s the one piece of advice someone gave you five years ago that you wish you’d followed? Well, perhaps it was not to get too caught up in social media. As you can see above, I’m undecided about whether I should have followed it or not. (Wink, wink.) The NaPoWriMo prompt was to write a Social Media poem, so as you can see, again, the two fit right together. Somewhere, Carl Jung is smiling and nodding his head. https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/powerful-suggestion/
Speaking in Signs
Fingers skewed into exclamations,
thumbs jerking questions,
thrusting forearms moving hands to interrupt–
signs are the ballet of languages.
Graceful syllables fall
from the ovals of fingernails.
Joints flex with exaggeration.
No division of dialect or prejudice of accent–
all voices are imagined the same.
What parts of the mind unknown by tongue,
might express themselves in gesture?
Surely these graceful movements
of words expressed in images and signs
create a language that weds all art–
the music and dance and mime of hands
sculpting poetry.
The Prompt: Take That, Rosetta–If you could wake up tomorrow and be fluent in any language you don’t currently speak, which would it be?
For other answers to this prompt, go here:
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/daily-post-take-that-rosetta/
Diego is really having his 15 minutes (more like a week) of fame! This is the sixth photo of him I’ve published this week, but I promise they are all different. It just meets this prompt so well that I had to use it. Since I have no kids to show you, guess you have to put up with my dogs!!! This is the last one for awhile. Promise. Well, actually, there will be one more in the Closeup post.In truth, it will be a rerendering and closeup of this photo.
Eigengrau is the darkest color you can actually see in the dark–a very dark gray. Yes, I’d never heard of it, either. Thanks, Jennifer Nichole Wells for teaching me a new word!! Now, please teach me how to remember it!
http://jennifernicholewells.com/2015/04/14/one-word-photo-challenge-eigengrau/
“Ganesha” by Judy Dykstra-Brown, 11″ X 5″ Ganesha is the Hindu god who watches over writers and intellectuals and makes things go smoothly in life–something we could all use a bit of. The open books all contain real stories and poems or mathematical formulas.
The WordPress and NaPoWriMo prompts worked well together today. The Prompt from one was to write a poem that addresses itself or some aspect of its self, and the other prompt was to write on the subject of mentoring, so this poem fulfills both prompts.
If a Poem Could Speak for Itself
In me, your thoughts are broken into lines—
the cadences as vital as breathing.
At my best, June never rhymes with moon
and if there are flowers, they are never roses.
Peonies, perhaps or ranunculi.
No daisies, ever, and no bluebirds or honey wine.
Being in love is as common as work boots
or stilettos with one heel broken off.
Hearts in good poetry do not ache, pine, yearn or pound.
They are not worn on the sleeve but remain
inside. Alone. Running the same maze
hearts everywhere run every day.
What makes a good poem?
Avoiding tired words and familiar phrases.
Rhyme, if you use it,
must be impeccable.
Words should follow their natural order
and not be inverted just to force a rhyme.
And remember that just because it rhymes
doesn’t mean it is poetry.
Never take the easy way out.
Never settle.
Use one-tenth of the words
that it is your impulse to use.
No pretty language, flashy language, trite language
or language plagiarized from Valentines
or song lyrics or others of my ilk.
And most of all, remember that
the thing you are really talking about
is rarely mentioned.
Do not over-explain.
Let me have my mysteries,
and have faith in your reader
to try to solve them.
I was going for a painterly effect in working with this photo of my dog, Diego. This is a different shot from the one I did a Warhol technique with a few days ago. The canvas effect is because the photo was taken through a screen door. Wish I could paint this well, but alas, everything was accomplished via iPhoto!
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/04/14/cees-fun-foto-challenge-close-ups/
Santa Cecilia is the patron saint of poets and musicians. This retablo evolved before I did any research on her at all. I had bought this wonderful oil painting in Peru and just let my mind go in building a retablo for her. I had no idea who she was–thought she was just another madonna. When I had finished, an artist friend, Eduardo Xilonsochitl, was at my house painting and building a sculpture for me by the pool and he saw her and said, “Ah, Santa Cecilia.” I then Googled Saint Cecilia and discovered that all of the symbolism of the retablo did in fact tell the story of her life. Some things just want to belong together and so it was with her portrait .
16″ X 16: Santa Cecilia: Mixed Media Retablo, Wood, Metal, paper, dried flowers and leaves, Gold Leaf, Feather, Bone, Abelone, Antique Toy Rocking Chair, Oil Painting on Canvas, Acrylic paint. 16″ X 16. Click on picture to see details.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 