08 Thursday Feb 2024
Posted in beautiful, Lauren DiMarco, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Writing
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Poem Lost Then Found by Joan Currie
Did a poem visit me during the night?
I asked as I stirred in the morning light.
Did some verse try to rouse me from my bed,
But settled then in someone else’s head?
Some disparate words rattle in my brain,
What do they mean, will others come again?
The day unfolds and at last they are clear,
I pen my poem before they disappear.
It is fascinating to learn what creative connections occur during sleep!
01 Thursday Feb 2024
Posted in beautiful, Daily Life, Lauren DiMarco, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Work
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Lingering Longer by Joan Currie
Another day awakens, sunlight gently streams,
Yet, I lie entangled in elusive dreams.
Mountains of tasks, a daunting array,
Head heavy with the weight of the pending day.
The dawn whispers of responsibilities vast,
A symphony of to-dos, shadows cast.
Bed’s comfort tempts, a refuge to stay,
But, the world outside demands its sway.
The ache in the head, the burden of thought,
Projects loom, battles to be fought.
In the warmth of the sheets, a plea is said,
To linger longer, and avoid the day ahead.
Ah! If only I could luxuriate in bed for a few more minutes!
25 Thursday Jan 2024
Posted in Art, beautiful, Lynx, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter
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beautiful, Lynx, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animal, Winter
Encountering a Lynx by Joan Currie
In the moonlit glade, a lynx appears,
Fur-tipped ears, green-gold eyes quelling fears,
A guardian wise, like an androsphinx’s grace,
Yet, ponder, do we anthropomorphize his face?
All-knowing aura, mystique in his stare,
Yet, does he ponder life with a thoughtful air?
Do we project our musings, a human reflection,
Onto the lynx, seeking a shared connection?
In the silent forests, mysteries untold,
Does the lynx ponder more than hunger bold?
Hissing and yowling and screams in the night,
A startling assertion of nature’s might.
The lynx is my children’s favorite wild cat. :)
18 Thursday Jan 2024
Posted in Animals, Art, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter
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Art, Nature, Poetry, Red fox, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter
Red Fox in Winter by Joan Currie
In winter’s embrace, a lonely man found cheer,
A red fox came, a friend so dear.
Exquisite fur, eyes of blue-green grace,
Shared scraps, forming a bond in that quiet space.
Yet, in reaching out, a truth unfolds,
Wild and untamed, as nature holds.
Teeth bared, a lesson swiftly learned,
A cunning companion, loyalty unearned.
I found it difficult to teach my children to be wary of wild animals when so many children’s books, cartoons, and movies – especially Disney movies, portrayed them as cute and cuddly creatures.
11 Thursday Jan 2024
Hedgehog in the Snow by Joan Currie
In a quiet wood where leaves gently spread,
A hedgehog dwelled, his own path he’d tread.
Alone he preferred, in solitude’s embrace,
Away from his prickle, a solitary grace.
In rustling leaves, he found delight,
Playing alone, a lone hedge’s right.
Curling in a ball, he’d peacefully sleep,
In solitude’s company, his secrets to keep.
One morn, a snowy blanket covered the land,
The woods adorned in an arctic strand.
Under the sun’s gaze, a serene tableau,
Yet, no fellow creatures, no friend or foe.
As he played in the snow, a shadow drew near,
Unseen by the hedgehog, it whispered in his ear.
In his longing for solace, he returned to his den,
Curled up in a ball once more, in dreams to transcend.
Little hedgehog, in the quiet of his rest,
Unaware of the shadow, a mysterious guest.
Alone, he slumbers, in his dream’s reprieve,
In the snowy woods, where secrets weave.
I first learned about hedgehogs from The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a delightful little children’s book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. Although the protagonist hedgehog interacted with other animals in the story, hedgehogs are known to be solitary creatures – save for mating. I know at least one person who is very much a loner, like the hedgehog, and he seems very content. :)
06 Saturday Jan 2024
Posted in Art, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Sculpture
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As I was examining the marble Head of a Youth at the Botticelli Drawings exhibit at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, I thought of the expression, “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face,” as well as Vincent van Gogh cutting off his ear, and the ominous “Wheat Field with Crows,” one of van Gogh’s last paintings executed in 1890 before his death. The above poem was born out of that Joycean stream-of-consciousness.
I wonder what other people think when they look at great works of art? Who knows, but it could be very interesting!
05 Friday Jan 2024
Posted in Animals, Art, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter
≈ Comments Off on Beautiful Snow Leopard…
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Art, beautiful, environment, mountains, Nature, Poetry, Snow, Snow leopard, watercolor, Winter
Ode to a Snow Leopard by Joan Currie
In the peaks where snow doth lie,
A creature graced with silent stride,
Snow leopard roams beneath the sky,
In the realm where frost abides.
With fur of silver, spots of night,
Its gaze, ice blue, a mystic sight,
Amongst snow-capped mountains high,
A guardian beneath the moonlight.
Once a child of that mountain air,
A woman now, distant and fair,
From the village, she did part,
Leaving behind a heavy heart.
In dreams, she hears the snow’s soft call,
A longing echoes through the hall,
Her spirit yearns for frozen grace,
To wander in that wild embrace.
The snow leopard, a silent guide,
Through peaks where memories abide,
Its eyes like crystals, piercing cold,
A tale of nature’s beauty told.
The woman, haunted by the past,
Desires the mountains, free at last,
To return to where her soul belongs,
Amidst the snow, where it prolongs.
Through valleys deep and rivers wide,
Her heart retraces steps beside,
Towards the peaks, she yearns to climb,
Reconnect with frozen time.
Oh, snow leopard with eyes so bright,
Guide her through the frigid night,
To find her way, to nature’s lore,
To the mountains she adored once more.
The northern landscapes that shaped my early years now seem like distant dreams. I wish for a winter’s day, especially in the late afternoon as the sun is setting, when the snow is infused with soft shades of white, blue, lavender, and rose.
31 Sunday Dec 2023
Posted in Art, Japanese art, New Year's Resolutions, Photography, Reflections
≈ Comments Off on Beautiful Riding the Crest of Time: Navigating the End of 2023 Like Hokusai’s Great Wave…
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Art, Ebo period, hokusai, Hokusai exhibit, Japan, Japanese art, New Year 2024, Painting, Seattle Art Museum, the-great-wave, woodblock-art
During the Ebo period, ukiyo-e, woodblock prints became enormously popular. Sold in small shops and on the street, an ordinary print went for the price of a bowl of noodles. People of very modest income, therefore, could collect prints in albums or paste them on their walls. A highly efficient production system made this wide distribution of Japanese graphic art possible.
From Gardner’s Art Through the Ages
It was thrilling to see The Great Wave, pictured above, at the Seattle Art Museum exhibit featuring the Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎, c. 31 October 1760 – 10 May 1849). He is celebrated for having created approxiamtely 30,000 woodblock prints, paintings, illustrations, and sketches during his lifetime.
As this year hurtles towards its end, I thought of Hokusai’s Great Wave, and found myself amidst a sea of unfinished tasks and uncharted waters. Like the towering wave, these last few days of 2023 have loomed large, yet I am carried forth by the inexorable force of time.
As I look at the intricate details of Hokusai’s work, I see parallels in my own year-end reflections. The waves symbolize exquisite beauty, contrasts of dark and light, highs and lows, dynamism, chaos, and complexities of life, while the boats – the challenges I have faced throughout the year (a little trying to stay afloat but mostly enjoying the ride!).
I look forward to catching a new Great Wave in 2024!
Happy New Year!
25 Monday Dec 2023
Posted in Art, Birds, Christmas, watercolor
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No Christmas Goose!
Papa, please don’t make Gilbert
the Christmas goose!
I love him so.
How about ham?
from All Poetry
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Fowl, but not goose, will be at our dinner table this year. Looking forward to merriment with family and friends.
Be well!
20 Wednesday Dec 2023
Posted in Animals, Art, Dogs, Relationships, watercolor
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Art, dog, Rescue dog, shiba, Shiba Inu, watercolor
Mischievous Shiba lives for those moments when you tell him he can’t do something. “No” means a very interesting challenge, and he will devise all sorts of strategies to subvert you. from Shibashake.com
Christmas arrived early in the form of a delightful Shiba Inu named Yumi. She is our second rescue dog and now a devoted companion to her bigger, but not older sister, Kimmie. This sweet dog was initially very anxious, trembling in the corner of her cage, and not making eye contact. But my daughter, Lauren, was very patient and loving with her, and now this 16 pound bundle of joy has become a playful and charmingly naughty member of the family.
Yumi is not a lap dog, and never will be – cuddling is not in her nature. She has an independent spirit and an innate respect for her caregiver’s space. She has lots of energy and loves to hide toys and then find them with great prancing and tail wagging. She makes you appreciate how animals (and humans, too) can blossom with kindness and understanding.
Satin & Sand 