(no) harm done

First do no harm should be words by which we all live rather than an oath just for physicians. We’re so busy moving at the speed of fast forward. When our past rushes up to meet us, we fail to realize that what appears harmless at first glance can unintentionally cause distress for another. Not taking a moment to fully assess the story we’ve been given then pausing long enough to let instinct weigh in, to really face what hasn't been disclosed before we make a decision to proceed could bring hours of doubt, anger, hurt and sadness to people we may or may not know.

During this time when so many honor the remembrance of life born from death, light after complete darkness, forgiveness of the worst betrayal, may we find the courage to right our wrongs as best we can then do our very best to bring no harm of any nature or degree to another again. Yes, I'm talking to me too.


Happy Easter or Passover and if you don't celebrate either, have a happy day this Sunday and...

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write light

I had actually planned to post something else today however on occasion there is a photograph that when I take it is too pretty not to immediately share…

The vibrant purple stamen is quite unusual or at least I’ve not seen a purple anther which suddenly brought to mind a rhyme I haven’t thought about much less recited since I was a child…

I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

Parrot tulips are one of my favorite flowers. When spring arrives, they are the cut flower of choice for my home as often as I can find them; I'm pleasantly surprised when someone buys them for me. The bunch currently gracing my living room table are so, so gorgeous bringing a much needed diversion to me this challenging week when things are coming at me from all angles. Honestly, I’m glad they sparked a reason to just write light and allowed me to wander back to a time when the biggest problem I had was trying to finagle a little more play time after the sun had long gone to bed. Speaking of which,

it’s 12:57AM,
I must turn in!

So when the sun wakes up…

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word document

Evolution of a project...

step 1 - lots of ideas

step 2 - ideas taking shape

step 3 - alas, a solid concept!

I get such a kick when my photographs and artwork accurately reveal how I'm feeling, what’s going on inside without me ever uttering a word. The funny thing is, I never set out or sit down with that intention. That said, I deeply value and appreciate creative sessions for just that reason -- they sometimes surface those uncomfortable issues buried in a place that my conscious doesn’t visit making whatever it is I need to manage much clearer. Only after I have completed a piece or am editing photos do I see a message on display for me to either address or dismiss all the while marveling at the power of the subconscious.

Right now, I am hoping for a crystal ball masterpiece to address loneliness, a word voiced in too many conversations lately. It makes no difference whether we’re in a relationship, married with children, or surrounded by friends, family and co-workers, feeling lonely or even alone with someone sleeping, standing, or working right next to you is real. We’re disconnected to those we’re connected to and while the answer in certain situations is painfully clear, most of the time folks just want to fix it without loss. One of the main things I hear and know to be true is the desire for people in our lives to show up, stop talking and just do.

My idea for this post was originally a short, slightly humorous depiction in pictures of my thought process when I undertake a project. My subconscious obviously had other plans as I have been struggling for hours with what was trying to come to the page. Perhaps this is the beginning of the masterpiece, this creative session that is starting with words so...

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a thing for spring

Today marks the first day of spring and this year I am seriously struggling with the loss of that hour that disappeared into our clocks as they sprang ahead a couple of weeks ago! Is this another age thing because OMG, there is so much to deal with that really… Okay, let me refrain from spewing a temper tantrum of words across the page instead opting for some that herald the season of emergence from our winter cocoons, longer spans of sun lit stretches of time, flora bursting out in living color, and temperatures that allow us to peel away more than just layers of clothing as the trees put theirs on. I wanted to know if others are as exuberant about spring as I so I went in search of a poem or excerpts from compositions that might resonate with me and found the following…

Spring Song

Paul Laurence Dunbar

A blue–bell springs upon the ledge,

A lark sits singing in the hedge;

Sweet perfumes scent the balmy air,

And life is brimming everywhere.

What lark and breeze and bluebird sing,

Is Spring, Spring, Spring!

No more the air is sharp and cold;

The planter wends across the wold,

And, glad, beneath the shining sky

We wander forth, my love and I.

And ever in our hearts doth ring

This song of Spring, Spring!

For life is life and love is love,

‘Twixt maid and man or dove and dove.

Life may be short, life may be long,

But love will come, and to its song

Shall this refrain for ever cling

Of Spring, Spring, Spring!

Spring is nostalgia

after bitter storm.

Put spring in your heart.

- excerpt from Spring, Archie Greenidge

if spring lasted forever

I'd have no worries of sorts

because worries are for seasons

& Spring is love for short

if spring lasted forever

'I might add more'

- excerpt from Spring, James Meaney

I sometimes wish for more of what I love while at the same time being careful not to take too much. Lately, I also find myself accepting that perhaps it’s best to hold back some of me until the time, people and circumstances are as certain as the fact that spring follows winter and falls before summer. Wanting more than we need, giving more than deserved can lead to indifference, lack of appreciation and an unfulfilled fullness that can't be easily sprung.

But when it comes to spring, well it could last right up to the dawn of autumn and never would I take not one day for granted. My plan is to enjoy each moment beginning today, the first day of one of my two most favorite seasons. Hope you will make the most of any day you wake up aware, alert and able as you…

  

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transplant

Mistakes, missteps, and misfortunes are fertilizers in the garden of growth. While I do believe in blossoming where we’re planted, I also know that when the soil no longer nourishes, we have to cultivate a plan to pull up roots before they rot no matter how uncomfortable that may be and seek new dirt if we are to bloom again.

The sun really does come out tomorrow lighting the way to a sweet spot of land, so…

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lost in a sing

Saturday night arrived. So much had happened since the date was set that I had almost forgotten, but here it was and I wasn’t going to cancel. I dressed without much fuss, descended the stairs and off we went.

Something quite special happened in the Historic Synagogue this past Saturday as friends and strangers gathered to hear lyrics with phraseology just off the beat enough to be dead on it, to get so damned tickled by incredible players of piano, bass, and drum. New instruments that I didn’t recognize introduced themselves, teased and enticed me; my body immediately gave in. A small package with a gifted ability to mesmerize in a big way, her performance was perfect for the intimate space where she birthed a family in concert. My insides felt good as we let go collectively, heads catching the rhythm of the unified nod moving round the pews. We swayed individually and together, longed for more when the last note fell and she didn’t leave us hanging or disappointed.

Listening to Gretchen Parlato was as Zen to me as this photo of a pistachio orchid; an evening of elegant spirit embracing us from head to toe in a melodic tapestry, kept us wrapped in warm intricate notes sending us out into the gentle night air all a glow with a shared sense of soul fulfilled. If you are not familiar with her music, you are missing bliss.

Check out In a Dream and The Lost and Found, nothing bad on either CD for me and…

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late night sandwich

Precious thoughts linger at the edge of dawn's last minute dreams, behind closed eyes a haze of urgent messages, images, ideas rush forth hoping for remembrance on the wake from delicious naps that happen as sleep ends and the rise begins.

This has been happening to me quite a bit lately as I munch on awake served between two thick slices of sleep. Here’s how the sandwiches are made…I sit down to catch the 7:00PM national news only to wake up on the couch or in bed around 12:30PM in time for Jimmy Fallon followed by my night time affair with Rob Nelson on World News Now. Around 4:00AM, I force myself to lie still, fall back to sleep and then just before the sun appears, a second dream state inundates me with such profound work that I am typing notes into the phone before I even turn over to wipe the sleep from my eyes. Now the good thing is I have been able to complete unfinished compositions started in various emotional states last month as I grappled with the passing of my close friend…

grief©

is the outfit in the back of the closet
that without a lending hand
slips itself on to be worn for
an unspecified period of time

is the uninhabited space
inhabiting unexpected love seats
across the landscape of the present now
that uncomfortably shifts on the sit down

is the mourning of past glorious moments

giving way to glory in the morning

waiting to light the way, carpet the path
of a spirit on its way home

is the first note on the second line
jumpin’, blarin’, slidin’ around umbrellas
whirling like decorated dervishes celebrating
life joyously passing by.

dark©

moon sits like a bowl of cream in a dark dish sky
spilling vulnerability into crying eyes below

raw passions numb and reaching

needs rise up fall down
scream to be held, touched, known
drowning in night air
unheard.
eyes wake up blinded
hung over from countless sips of sleepless cocktails
distilled and poured from a drained bowl

long gone from the dark dish sky.

a catch in breath

the gondola glides slowly in voyage
back to the familiar, understood, holding on
for a bowl of cream served in dark dish wonder.

Both of these written pieces relate back to the blog entitled Raw, originally posted on Sunday 2/10/13. I am pleased to share that Raw was partially republished just yesterday on WellnessWithin.org, a mind-body wellness center for patients, survivors, and families coping with the stress of cancer. I am humbled to know that what I wrote touched someone else enough to share it with their readers, grateful if my words have helped or will be meaningful to others. Many thanks Brook!

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street art

A rainbow on the grounds of a parking lot the morning after early rain made for some abstract photographic creations…

…so do I really need to say…

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ps...it's snowing here today so went out on the balcony to snap another picture from the pavement...



the right direction

new doors are opening for me and so it shall be…

We all go through periods in time when unexpected challenges seem to lurk around every corner coming so fast that suddenly, we’re unable to effectively dodge them. The next thing we know, we’re overwhelmed with emotion and want to throw a temper tantrum, throw something, cry, just run away or maybe do something a little more drastic…but hopefully our sensible self steps in to catch us. The above affirmation is just one of many I developed and repeat for myself that helps me navigate these turbulent sections of my life journey; I seem to be caught in a whirlwind right now.

However, bright constellations exist in many forms, keeping a light in the door so to speak that I can see even if it’s far away -- quiet moments that I give myself daily, sipping a cup of a new kind of tea, being creative, soothing music, soaking by candlelight, enjoying conversations with people whose words I value and reading books that bolster my spirit, jog my brain, ground me so I remember...it all works out for me.

My best friend gave me a book with a selection of inspirational messages…

I bought a book that combines my love of fabulously photographed flowers with a daily birthday fortune passage (love birthdays, like 365 readings)…

And finally, there is a book that will never lose its meaning no matter how many times or when I pick it up that really does direct me back to center…

I learned long ago not to attempt to outrun whatever is waiting on the path that we may not like so much, however we do have choices. Walk with it, walk through it or, what the heck, just let it walk over you as long as you get up and through it all…

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