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https://dutchgoesthephoto.net/2017/02/07/tuesday-photo-challenge-mirror/
Mirrored Reality: fpj photo challenge
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Monthly Archives: February 2017
Read the Signs
Read the Signs
Are you possibly aware
from your vantage over there,
so well-shod and so well-clad,
that you are overdressed a tad?
In fact, it would be hard for you
no matter what garment or shoe
you might have chosen to wear instead.
I fear that you have been misled.
You’d still be overdressed, you see—
you’re in a nudist colony!
The prompt today was “aware.”
Veils, Halos and Shackles : International Poetry on the Oppression and Empowerment of Women
It has been pointed out to me that although I mentioned this anthology when I had work accepted by the editors, Charles Fishman and Smita Sahay, that I haven’t posted anything about it since it has been published.
Below is a link to an article about it from “The Hindu,” an English-language Indian daily newspaper. Headquartered at Chennai, It is the second most circulated English-language newspaper in India, with average qualifying sales of 1.45 million copies as of Jan−Jun 2016. A friend sent me a link to a review in a Hindu newspaper which, unfortunately, is no longer available, pointing out that the review mentions my poem, “Zauditu,” which appears in the anthology. You can, however, see the Goodreads page about it HERE, which contains some reader reviews and links to online booksellers.
First Steps
First Steps
Blushing cheeks and fluttered lashes,
cotton frocks with satin sashes.
That first dance, paired with a boy,
equal parts of fear and joy.
Sweaty palms and faltering feet.
A different style, each boy you meet.
Shyness, then—a major dose.
Terror he’ll hold you too close,
then, affronted when he doesn’t.
Wrong when he was and when he wasn’t
romantic in that pre-teen way,
as forward as that time of day
permitted, with your parents there.
Beaded foreheads, scraggly hair.
School dances never missed.
Holding hands, but never kissed.
Except one time, when cheek-to-cheek,
that butterfly kiss, furtive and meek.
Eyes met for just a moment, then,
to celebrate your mutual sin.
Oh the terrors and the joys
Of school dances and touching boys!
This is the second poetry challenge that resulted when Carol from the Relax blog posted a poem about her kittens that had an opening two lines I loved. Her poem veered off completely from those two lines, so I challenged her to write a new poem that centered around the opening lines. I did the same, but one of her images prompted a new prompt. This time I “dared” her to write a poem about butterfly kisses. She accepted the dare but said me first, so here it is. Carol, your turn. Post a link, please, after you’ve written your poem. When will this end? If anyone else cares to join in, you are most welcome. The prompt is “butterfly kiss.”
Gazania: Flower of the Day: Feb 10, 2017
I think these are the early stages of gazania blooms. If I am wrong, please let me know. They are from my friend Patty’s wonderful garden.
See Cee’s camellia HERE.
Sunset at Cambry Woods
Sunset at Cambry Woods
In the forest, wild and lush,
hear the music of the thrush
break the stillness of the brush.
If else disturbs it, make it hush,
for we have fled the world’s mad crush
with all its craziness and rush
that grinds sensation into mush,
distilling it as mindless slush.
The world flares up, the clouds are plush
as we see all its bloodshed flush
into the sunset’s subtle blush.
The prompt today was lush.
Relax Redux: Empty Nest
Tonight, one of my favorite blogs, written by Carol and titled “Relax,” published a poem that begins with the lines:
Tonight, I am missing
all half-grown kissing
–oh! I meant kittens—
an orange one, Mittens,
(HERE is a link to her entire poem.)
I, however, loved the original typo (or contrived typo) and challenged her to make a poem starting from it and remaining with that idea. I promised to do so myself, and have, hoping she won’t mind my stealing my version of her first line. Here is mine:
Empty Nest
I’ve been missing
that half-grown kissing
that lasts a minute
with chocolate in it.
Runny noses.
Heads of roses
picked off stems
like rarest gems
presented in
a tuna tin.
Priceless treasure
for my pleasure.
My life lacks
these loving smacks––
even a quickie,
albeit sticky
with peanut butter.
A parting stutter,
and then they’re gone
and off upon
adventures new,
away from you,
taking their kisses
to other misses.
I’m awaiting hers. Are you up to meeting the challenge, Carol?
Unsolicited Advice
Unsolicited Advice
I don’t like to criticize,
but, darling, do you think it wise
to wear those pants that emphasize
your long life of no exercise
and those big Macs with extra fries?
It is a choice I don’t advise,
for though you have such pretty eyes,
and face like poets eulogise,
your tucked-in blouse does not disguise
a figure Rubenesque in size.
It’s true Kim K. was aggrandised
by buttocks that were super-sized,
augmented and eroticized,
without a doubt romanticized
and surely over-publicized.
But still, dear, must you advertise
that derriere to all the guys?
Unless you’re set to capitalize
on spreading butt and super-thighs,
might I suggest a larger size?
The prompt today was criticize.
Crawling or Flying
Most things crawl before they fly, if they fly at all. The wood termites shown in the photo have flown into my pool, chewed their wings off, and are treading water or floating on their cast off wings to get to the side of the pool so they can crawl up to my wooden beams and make a meal of them. The golden orb spider spins zigzag designs in her web as she crawls to its center. I haven’t been able to determine why. The orange butterflies were on a lifejacket on a boat on the Amazon. Attracted by the bright color, they were no doubt disappointed by the taste. The tiny green moth flew down to my computer screen one night and crawled around a bit before it settled on a nice spot. The hummingbird moth larvae are fascinating in their various mutations before turning into moths. I never have been able to figure out what the crystal shapes are growing out of the one caterpillar.
Most of my bird watching takes place at the beach, thus the photos of pelicans and gulls. Except for the photo of the walking stick on the cap and the hand-held giant leaf hopper, which were both taken in the Amazon rainforest, all of the other photos were taken at my house above Lake Chapala in Mexico.
CLICK ON FIRST PHOTO TO ENLARGE ALL AND SEE GALLERY
2001-2022
Go HERE to join the photo prompt and post your photos of crawling or flying.
Hibiscus: Flower of the Day, Feb 8, 2017
Link to join the prompt: https://ceenphotography.com/2017/02/07/flower-of-the-day-february-8-2017-bearded-iris/
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 