What can I add to a post by Sue Ranscht about victims of the Uvalde mass shooting? Nothing beyond another place where Sue’s concise eloquence might be seen and pondered. Maybe even acted upon. Remember in November.
Category: (reblog)
Ash Trees and Artichokes
Apart from being plants, they have little in common. But this particular ash tree and this particular collection of artichokes share a kind of solemn beauty in death. My images respond to the image and words in Patrick Jennings’ challenge #258, which is reblogged (in effect) at the end of this post.
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© Patrick Jennings | Beauty ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #258
There is beauty
In all things
Even death
In all things
Even death
To understand this
Is to master life
To master life
One must master death
Twilight Tanka
In context, the phrase «world slipping into darkness» in a recent challenge refers to serene twilight in the natural world. In the political world, the same phrase has an utterly different mood. What to do? Write a tanka and dig deeper for ways to fight the political world’s descent into darkness.
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The challenge is reblogged (in effect) below. I was jolted by the clash between the serenity of the image and the political interpretation of a phrase in the poem.
In the ebbing radiance
Of a world slipping into darkness
The light is most vivid
Capable of magiks
Unknown to daylight
© Patrick Jennings | Radiance ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #243
Radiance and Darkness
In sure and certain hope
that light returns tomorrow,
sky’s radiance fades.
But slipping into darkness
is not serene for nations.
Comedy Relief
As Abraham Lincoln said when somebody objected to his fondness for corny jokes during the Civil War:
«I laugh because I must not cry.»
So far, the COVID-19 crisis is still not as bad as the Civil War. The USA survived that, partly because the POTUS was caring and competent.
Visit the post reblogged here to see a fine collection of cartoons and jokes.
After performing tragedies, the ancient Greeks always staged comedies, often making fun of the tragedies they’d just presented. Why? Comedy relief. Likewise, humor flourishes during wars and epidemics. Morbidity? No, survival. When we’re under attack, we ridicule our attackers and tease ourselves. Why? Because it helps us cope, reminds us we’re in this together and, well, simply provides comedy relief. Those Greeks had it right.
Click on any image to enlarge it, or to start slide show.
Some Pandemic Humor found Online
- I’ll tell you a coronavirus joke now, and check back in two weeks to see if you got it.
- Finland has closed its borders. That’s right, no one is allowed to cross the finish line.
- I ran out of toilet paper and had to start using the New York Times. Man, the Times are rough.
- Kids who came of age during the millennium are called Millennials. With…
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Cathedral & Lighthouse & Xmas Carol
Claude Monet’s paintings of the cathedral at Rouen illustrate the principle that what U see depends on when U look. Patrick Jennings’ photos of the lighthouse at Amphitrite Point illustrate the same principle. The prose poem posted with one of them has also inspired new lyrics for a classic Xmas carol.
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Claude Monet’s paintings of Rouen Cathedral are well-known. Tho built for utilitarian rather than devotional purposes, the lighthouse at Amphitrite Point (on the coast of British Columbia) has much in common with the Rouen Cathedral. Each tries to guide the viewer to some form of safety. Each looks different at various times (and from various vantage points). Each has had its beautiful variety captured by a great artist.
© Patrick Jennings | Pix to Words | Amphitrite Lighthouse
Click on the image credit for access to Patrick Jennings’ other photos of the Amphitrite Lighthouse. Each image is accompanied by poetry. The prose poem posted with this image is an evocative dialog between the “Great Light” of the setting sun and the “little light at Amphitrite” (who gets the last word). Hmmm. “Little light at Amphitrite” could have a nice rhythm and an internal rhyme.
While the name of the eponymous Greek goddess is pronounced like [am-fi-tright-ee], it is OK to pronounce the place name like [am-fi-tright]. (Amid wind and waves, saying the [-ee] would sound rather twee.) Why do I care? Consider the tune of the Xmas carol O little town of Bethlehem. As with Greensleaves or Glorious things of thee are spoken, a great musical foundation can support many lyrical superstructures.
O little light at Amphitrite,
how bright we see thee glow.
The sea can smash a boat on rocks,
as all good sailors know.
But sailors steer with confidence
they will not drown just yet.
Thy beacon guides them safely home
no worse than cold and wet.
Capturing the Unexpected
While the juxtapositions collected by Mitch Teemley are all clever and funny, the ballerina/tulip photo is special. Because their stems keep growing and tend to flop over, tulips are tricky in flower arrangements. It’s one of life’s (littler) lemons. The ballerina/tulip photo makes lemonade.(BTW, the [Menu] button atop the vertical black bar reveals the widgets.)
Coincidence? I Think Not.
Life, as mentioned in the first Capturing the Unexpected post, is sometimes horrible, sometimes beautiful, and always just a little bit weird. Why is that? (Lean in close and I’ll tell you.) It’s because we’re weird! We find comedy in calamity, meaning in meaninglessness, truth in absurdity. Coincidence? Nope. We’re wired that way. Don’t you love it when someone captures proof?
(Click on any image to enlarge it, or to begin slide show)
Emptiness Revisited
Empty talk and empty bowls elicit different responses.
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Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #81
Poetry Archive (5) loneliness or emptiness
Choose a haiku, tanka or other form of Japanese poetry from your archive and share it with us all. Tell us why you have chosen that poem … and create a new poem inspired on your choice.
A short sequence of 3-5-3 haiku dealt with emptiness for a challenge in another series. I like the way the first haiku sets up the second one, so the whole sequence is my archive choice. Can I write a new poem for the current challenge? Yes, and there is a reason to put it before the archive choice. The new poem is a 5-7-5 haiku:
Not Alone
Lonely in the crowd
and weary of empty talk,
I seek solitude.
Lonely in the crowd
and weary of empty talk,
I seek solitude.
© Igor Zakowski | 123RF Stock Photo
(Image has been cropped.)
Here and There in 3-5-3
Emptiness Here
Empty bowl
atop microwave,
just for looks.
Empty bowl
atop microwave,
just for looks.
Emptiness There
Empty bowl,
heavy with nothing.
Hunger pangs.
Empty bowl,
heavy with nothing.
Hunger pangs.
I give to several charities that help hungry people in many places with a mix of short-term and long-term efforts. In particular, my next gift to CARE will be matched 5X. The matching grant offer on CARE.org/match will expire 2019-05-25. (A popup on CARE.org has another match that expires sooner, on 04-30.) If U can give more than whatever U may have already given to charities like CARE this year, now is a good time.
Clams in the Clouds
Two haiku (each inspired by a photo of clouds imitating clams) illustrate the synergy between poem and image in a modern haiga (with a photo as the image). Haiku #2 uses a modern kigo (“abalone”). I took the calm photo; Sue Ranscht took the dramatic one.
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The cloud images in this post were in an earlier post (for a photography challenge) that emphasized synergy between pastel pink and green. Now I am responding to a haiku challenge with emphasis on synergy between poem and image in a modern haiga (with a photo as the image). Haiku #2 uses the modern kigo abalone.
To those who have not seen many nacreous clouds, the poems’ metaphors might seem far-fetched. Presenting the photos along with the poems they inspired may reassure readers willing to trust that the photographers refrained from deceptive editing. I took the calm photo; Sue Ranscht took the dramatic one.
© Sue Ranscht | Space, Time, and Raspberries
Clams in the Clouds #1
Serene clouds
give mother-of-pearl
to old eyes.
Serene clouds
give mother-of-pearl
to old eyes.
Clams in the Clouds #2
Molten pewter clouds:
some are tinted pink or green.
Abalone shell.
Molten pewter clouds:
some are tinted pink or green.
Abalone shell.
Pastel Synergy
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This post ends with 2 haiku, each inspired by a photo of clouds imitating clams. I took the calm photo; Sue Ranscht took the dramatic one.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Pastel Colors
Tho I usually prefer deeply saturated colors, I love the pastel pink and green sometimes seen in a cloud, when the angles are just right in the triangle formed by the cloud and the sun and the viewer. At my latitude, it is a rare sight. I have had just one chance to photograph the elusive synergy of pastel pink and green:
Dramatic photos of pink and green in clouds can be seen by searching online for
[mother-of-pearl clouds] or [nacreous clouds].
There is also the marvel by Sue Ranscht that appears below. Fair warning: the image credit links to a post in a series, with a striking image for each episode in a fantasy epic. The series is so addictive that it hooked me despite my aversion to fantasies and impatience with epics.
© Sue Ranscht | Space, Time, and Raspberries
Clams in the Clouds #1
Serene clouds
give mother-of-pearl
to old eyes.
Serene clouds
give mother-of-pearl
to old eyes.
Clams in the Clouds #2
Molten pewter clouds:
some are tinted pink or green.
Abalone shell.
Molten pewter clouds:
some are tinted pink or green.
Abalone shell.
Calm, Cool, and CollectING
Carpe Diem’s Quest For A (New) Masterpiece
#3 the quest continues
My latest haiku came quickly when I saw a superb photo by Cee Neuner. While I gave the haiku a title to make it intelligible w/o the photo, I also requested and received permission to share the photo in a post.
Red and Yellow Dahlia
Amid swirling flames,
pollen and nectar beckon.
Bee stays calm and cool.
Amid swirling flames,
pollen and nectar beckon.
Bee stays calm and cool.
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– above post (on phone) or beside it (on desktop). –
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5 Days, 5 Abstract Photos – Day #5
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Day #5 of Olga’s challenge is effectively reblogged at the end of this post, after my own abstract photo. (I tweaked this post’s title to avoid ambiguity.) The challenge has been fun but intense. Now I can turn to whatever has been piling up. Hmm… Yikes!
Originally posted as
5 Days, 5 Photos Challenge: Abstract (Day 5) | Stuff and what if…:
Rules: No people. No explanations. Open invitation to anyone else who would like to participate.
Since this is the finale, an extra photo to say Merry Christmas and Peace to all.
5 Days, 5 Abstract Photos – Day #4
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Day #4 of Olga’s challenge is effectively reblogged at the end of this post, after my own abstract photo. (I tweaked this post’s title to avoid ambiguity.) Am working on a jollier possibility for day #5.
Originally posted as
5 Days, 5 Photos Challenge: Abstract (Day 4) | Stuff and what if…:
Rules: No people. No explanations. Open invitation to anyone else who would like to participate.
5 Days, 5 Abstract Photos – Day #3
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Day #3 of Olga’s challenge is effectively reblogged at the end of this post, after my own abstract photo. (I tweaked this post’s title to avoid ambiguity.) Maybe I can do all 5 days.
Originally posted as
5 Days, 5 Photos Challenge: Abstract (Day 3) | Stuff and what if…:
Rules: No people. No explanations. Open invitation to anyone else who would like to participate.
5 Days, 5 Abstract Photos – Day #2
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Day #2 of the challenge is effectively reblogged at the end of this post, after my own abstract photo. (I tweaked this post’s title to avoid ambiguity.) I might bail out before 5 days are complete.
Originally posted as
5 Days, 5 Photos Challenge: Abstract (Day Two) | Stuff and what if…:
Rules: No people. No explanations. Open invitation to anyone else who would like to participate.
5 Days, 5 Photos Challenge: Abstract (Day One)
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The title of the post effectively reblogged below could be parsed as saying that it announces either day #1 of a challenge to post 5 abstract photos on 5 days or a challenge to post 5 photos on 5 days, with an abstract photo wanted for day #1 (and what is wanted later left open). I will guess the former, post an abstract photo today, and see if I can post 4 more. I might bail out before 5 days are complete.
Originally posted as
5 Days, 5 Photos Challenge: Abstract (Day One) | Stuff and what if…:
Rules: No people. No explanations. Open invitation to anyone else who would like to participate.
Abstract photography is sometimes called non-objective, experimental, conceptual or concrete photography.
Abstract photography is based on the photographer’s eye who’s looking to capture something in a way that it would not usually be seen. Looking for the details, the patterns, the lines, the form, shape and colors that complete a subject and utilizing those key features to make an engaging image.
Here is my abstract photo for day #1:
Dawn Can Endure
Tho originally written in response to a challenge on a blog other than CDHK, the tanka here can also respond to Carpe Diem #1214 dawn because it uses the word dawn and has fragment/phrase structure on 2 levels: between the haiku and the rest of the tanka as well as within the haiku itself.
My tanka responding to a challenge posted by Patrick Jennings is a riff on the splendid photo he provided, with hills that seem to go on forever in both time and space.
Originally posted by Patrick Jennings in
[Evanescent ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #89]:
Seize the Sunrise
Evanescent dawn.
Do hills endure forever?
No, but long enough.
~ ~ ~ ~
Art subverts time with pixels;
the moment also endures.
Mellow Curmudgeon 