Happy Easter!

Posted on April 8, 2012 by TommiaW

Many a wonderful hymn sings the joys of this day.

Today’s found poem – courtesy of Poem-a-Day from Poets.org is:

Ascension
by John Donne 
Salute the last, and everlasting day,
Joy at the uprising of this Sun, and Son,
Ye whose true tears, or tribulation
Have purely wash'd, or burnt your drossy clay.
Behold, the Highest, parting hence away,
Lightens the dark clouds, which He treads upon;
Nor doth he by ascending show alone,
But first He, and He first enters the way.
O strong Ram, which hast batter'd heaven for me!
Mild lamb, which with Thy Blood hast mark'd the path!
Bright Torch, which shinest, that I the way may see!
O, with Thy own Blood quench Thy own just wrath;
And if Thy Holy Spirit my Muse did raise,
Deign at my hands this crown of prayer and praise
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Saturday Silliness

Posted on April 7, 2012 by TommiaW

Nothing beats an accidental find.

Catku: What is the Sound of One Cat Napping by Pat Welch is jolly good fun!
The haikus were written by Melissa Crowley and Heidi DelGros, with additional haikus by Welch.

Arranged as a series of lessons, the clever introduction followed by the haikus – any cat lover will recognize their family feline.

I read them during break at work and wondered who was watching my cat. Hmm, maybe I should study my fur ball buddy for a day. To haiku or not to haiku? Wait, wrong question.

Kit criticizes keyboard by Tommia Wright

 

 

Cat’s back; keyboard’s gone.
Well, see me now; here I am.
Let petting begin.

 

 

Kit claims the bed by Tommia Wright

 

 

You are up right now.
This bed is mine; go away.
You work. I sleep, play.

 

 

Kat pens a poem by Tommia Wright

 

 

This writing stick’s mine.
I will play with it so fine.
You find a new pen.

Posted in Poetry | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Ficlet Poem

Posted on April 6, 2012 by TommiaW

Curved Side of the Spoon by Tommia Wright

This came about for a few reasons:

a)I’m a klutz when tired (try serving stew with an upside-down spoon).

b) two friends had two different story requests when we exchanged the ‘you know you’re tired’ bits, but I decided to do it my own way.

So, a + b = my own twist.

Curved Side of the Spoon

Johanna Deanne maintained her plan
To give her little brother the moon.
With the swiftest of flicks,
She mastered the trick
Of creative lunches at noon.

Sammy loved grilled cheese, ‘oh pretty please.’
All to be found was one slice of bread.
She bartered for this, bartered for that,
A small bag of basics she got for her hat.
She saw to it he was well fed.

Sammy was wise, too wise for his years,
One day he asked through brimming tears-
“Why don’t you eat as much as me?”
Johanna replied, “I do, don’t you see?”
Refilling her plate, with the curved side of the spoon.

This game was played from time to time
The siblings aware of the truth of the lie.
The proper care of the soul and the mind
With faith, they made it through any bind.
In their own way, their own bounty to find.

Pennies saved, and wise words gave,
Johanna Deanne said farewell
To her college-bound brother,
Raised without father or mother,
Who’d reach the stars and the moon as well.

Posted in Ficlet/Fragment, Poetry | 3 Comments

Thursday’s Verse

Posted on April 5, 2012 by TommiaW

The Lines of Gauguin

So the adventure began –
Off to the SAM
For a day of play,
Less the full-price to pay
To go and see
The varying mastery
Of the artist named Gauguin.

Along the levels I went:
Overhead lights the shadows bent.
The different walls of various hues,
The dodging, the weaving to take in the views,
A glance at the clock,
Time to quicken the walk,
And learn from a master again.

First task required was to find the line,
Once I finally made it there on time.
Up and down, back and forth
Wait, am I facing south or am I facing north?
Lines in gray
Dictating where to stay
And to think, I’ve yet to get in.

Art to the left, voice-box to the right
Forget reading the wording, the board’s not in sight.
Many landscapes with fence,
Paintings he sent back to France;
Women going through things of daily life
His fantastic version without strife
Interesting, the way it begins.

Then at last, a chance to look
At a creative, never revealed book
Where the painter blends real with fable
-alas it never sat on a buyer’s table.
It was great to see the pieces there,
To lose one’s self in the colors without a care,
The paintings of Eugene Henri Paul Gauguin.

Posted in Poetry | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Tuesday’s Poem – with note.

Posted on April 3, 2012 by TommiaW

Word Jazz-Three’s the Magic Number by Jackie Fedyk

Good news, the dress rehearsal went well. Seven days, one week to go for the BIG EVENT at Boxley’s

Today was the last “Practice, Practice, Practice” workshop taught by Reisha – courtesy of artEast. Thanks to Reisha’s energy and enthusiasm, a lot of fun was had when schedule allowed.

One of the challenges she offered was based on the following:

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.”
― Pico Iyer

So, we were asked to write about traveling, be it ourselves or characters in a story. Within the time limit given, here is my resulting poem:

Oh, how I’d love to see

The beautiful cities of Italy.

I would gladly, quickly leave my home

For another week spent in Rome.

There, driving rules surely differ.

(Bus drivers over taxis, I’d prefer).

To go from church to church on my own two feet

Strolling down the cobble-stoned streets.

The art, the glass, the shops, the towers –

Michelangelo and other artists, with their powers;

The voices, the bells – this music the heart swells;

The sea, the bread, various scents cloud the head.

All envelop the soul in the here and now,

Yet offer a scent of various pasts somehow.

The setups of the cafes and the bars

Seem more inviting, open, and relaxed than ours.

And to find a tiny theatre with a foreign movie,

Intermission between reels, refreshments available for a small fee.

If I could go back to Italy,

I would definitely want company.

I’d ask my Dad’s sister, my favorite aunt to go.

It was her initial invitation and encouragement for me to roam.

Posted in Poetry | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Jimmy Stewart

Posted on April 2, 2012 by TommiaW

Waiting Cat by Tommia Wright

It’s National Poetry month, so poetry will be the focus (I hope) blog-wise…

Thaaaaaaaanks, Johnny!!

Thanks to Johnny Carson, Jimmy Stewart published his collection of poems. They’re wonderful, witty and excellent to hear in the poet’s voice.

“Jimmy Stewart and his Poems” contains 4 poems by the Everyman actor. Inspired by his travels, Jimmy paints a picture easy to see, complete with humor, heart and wit. It’s a great way to enjoy his safaris to Africa.

Listening to Stewart reading his poems is priceless. His drawl, his calm-metered delivery… I’ve purchased many copies of the book and tape (loaned it, lost it; loaned it; lost it). I’ve worn out one tape, about to lose the second tape. (Might have to invest in the CD or MP3 deal).

Here is a clip of Jimmy Stewart reading his poem about his dog, “Beau.” (Warning, tissues will be required!)

“The Top Step at the Hotel Junin” is a perfect example. Jimmy takes you step by step inside a hotel in Argentina, until you reach that troubling step, a 1/4 inch higher than the rest where the fall occurs.

Of course, for me, it isn’t the top step of a hotel but the bottom step in my house. There are unwritten rules for my simple life. At the moment, there are a lot of things unwritten and the cat thinks it rules. Whenever I’m heading up the stairs, be it for crafting, sleeping, writing. The cat is determined to trip me – first step, every time.

Not to worry, I shot the cat once I got to the top.

Cat-the Tripper by Tommia Wright

Posted in Ponderings | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Slight Light

Posted on March 31, 2012 by TommiaW

Stream beside the Trail by Tommia Wright

This is actually a still from a(n accidental) video recording during a hike along the river leading up to the Twin Falls. Again, easily distracted by trickling water when wrapped in ribbons of light, like on the right.

A few co-workers informed me now is the time to re-explore that trail.

Oh, hoping for my favorable weather for my weekend!

Posted in Measuring Archaic Randomness, Cataloging Haphazardly | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Streaming Light

Posted on March 30, 2012 by TommiaW

Bend and Light June 2010 by Tommia Wright

Interrupting the “Friday Ficlet” routine, here is the ‘Saturday Snapshot’ a day early.

 

This was a photo I took nearing the end of my usual walk. I loved how the sun shone just so through the trees and the shadows cast on the path.

If I’m lucky and decent weather is due, see if I can’t repeat that same shot sometime soon.

Posted in Measuring Archaic Randomness, Cataloging Haphazardly | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Sketchbook still…streaming by into the pond

Posted on March 29, 2012 by TommiaW

Streams by Tommia Wright

One of the things I enjoyed about the walk  on my favorite trail is watching how the streams grow and shrink by size and speed. Attempted the right side of this page to be ‘streaming ribbons’ with a ‘proper interpretation’ on the left (repeating the mirroring of the dew page earlier). The verse is from the Bible.

Mt. Si and Mill Pond through the Seasons by Tommia Wright

 

 

The poem for this page is original and the piecing of the photos probably one of the fun parts. I have to admit it took longer to find the four seasons of this setting (silly computer/poor naming and placement of files), but once found, the cropping and fitting of these was a delightful bit to do – turning out better than a few other photo tricks I’ve tried.

Posted in Measuring Archaic Randomness, Cataloging Haphazardly | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Wandering Wednesday

Posted on March 28, 2012 by TommiaW

O'Meara Green and Tiny Town Greenhouse by Tommia Wright

 

A few more buildings found in Tiny Town.

One of these days, just might have to see what stories are spun, inspired by these structures…

 

Gates Schow in Tiny Town by Tommia Wright

 

 

 

 

 

Orange House by Tommia Wright
Posted in Measuring Archaic Randomness, Cataloging Haphazardly | Tagged | 4 Comments