Pictures within pictures

Home from Home

2008-12-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

This is my old AOL journal and I have neglected it shamefully.
I now give it a header that will speak more eloquently for the contents than this entry ever could.

YOU

2008-09-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Let every footstep you take

carry you to the next

Let every footstep you take

lead you to the next

Let every footstep you take,

hold you safely

so you may look carefully

For the next

Footstep to take.

LOOK and LISTEN to the MUSIC

It can save you from a false step

It was written and composed by genius

Step in the footfalls of genius and you will not fall

WALK TALL my friends

WALK ON

IN THE STEPS GIVEN YOU FREELY BY LOVE

walk on and I will always walk beside you

Together we will win for truth, loyalty, faith, hope and above all LOVE

Rhythm and Rhyme in Reason

2008-09-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

I see the oak is undressing for the night,

Soon a riot of colour will race through the air,

Yet none will rival the feathers I wear,

And the simple song in white,

For a fleeting moment the water will carry

Every possible hue and shade,

Autumn invites all to her parade,

When sun and moon marry.

The earth will sing of long summer days,

And bring to the wedding feast

The most that will always be the least,

For she is well versed in nature’s ways,

The water will ring my silent song,

Listen and you will surely see

Musical waves surrounding me,

Now here is where I belong.

Look and you will surely hear,

Waves of light on a passing melody,

That once was played by an old oak tree,

Time now brings the music near,

The water dances and echoes the sound,

My shadow sings in her domain,

Like day and night I shall remain,

Reflecting rhythms that abound.

Tags: day, night, colour, water, season, sun, moon, earth, music, light, rhythm, dance, echo, shadow, wave, wedding

Home

2008-09-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Image credit ROB

She stood silent in the doorway,

Uncertain whether to enter,

Or leave whether to go or stay,

Why had she come? What had sent her?

The weary sun sinks in the sky,

Clouds escorting him are leant a

Royal robe and parade on by,

A large flock of geese homeward bound,

Call to each other as they fly,

Eagerly sing their joyous sound.

It is all still as she recalled,

From the old faded blue front door,

To the garden ordered and walled,

Many years spent looking for more,

Had drawn her to lands far away,

Angry words spoken in haste saw,

Her not return until today,

Wealthier but poorer and sad,

The price too high she’d had to pay,

She calls, ‘It’s me. I’ve come home Dad.’

Music drifts on the evening air,

A crane fly dances in the night,

She can only listen and stare,

As it weaves in and out of light,

And seems to interpret the mood,

Of the melody and her fight,

And the loss of the love she rued,

It brushes gently on her jaw,

And she with new calm is imbued,

Then it flies through the open door.

I wrote this many months ago after listening to John Barry's 'Eternal Echoes'. Last night a crane fly danced around a picture in my lounge and gave me the photographs to illustrate the words that the track 'Returning Home' had inspired.

I hope the photographs don't upset anyone, I caught the fly in a glass very carefully and set it free in my garden. I don't have a lawn so I rarely get them in the house thankfully!

Tags: sun, sky, cloud, music, night, dance, door

A Quiet Smile Lasts

2008-09-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

In a sky larger than the horizon can hold,

The midsummer sun rules the night,

Attending clouds reflect his light,

It moves over the waves in mercurial flight,

And secrets of the music unfold,

It sings quietly of the fire in a star,

And covers a sleepy northern isle,

In such a gentle calming style,

This unforgettable smile

Dark days of winter will not mar.

Tags: sky, light, night, sun, star, music, season, smile

Who wants to be a Princess?

2008-09-25T04:21:00.000-07:00

The Hebridean Princess sails regally out of the harbour,

Like a faithful dog the small boat shepherds its’ charge

Safely through the deep channel toward the open sea,

Joined for a moment by need and care the partnership forges

An unspoken bond that rides the white foam between them,

And like a sheepdog happy to have accomplished his task

Running down the hillside in a flash of black and white,

The pilot boat returns waving a white water tail high,

That reflects sunlight it streams out like silvered smoke.

I have no desire to be a princess but part of me cries out

For simple guidance through the dangerous waters I sail,

Yet another part feels a need to care that I cannot satisfy,

I feel lost in the foam without direction or purpose,

Barely survive being wrecked on the rocks,

Repeatedly sail too close to the wind for comfort,

I am an endangered boat and a lost sheepdog,

I cower from the pain with my tail between my legs,

There can be no joy in me when no job is well done.

Instinctively I seek a haven for my mangled mind,

Words to hold ideas that might mend with a magic thread

The deep weeping wounds of my broken heart,

Wind round and weave my thoughts into the beauty instead

That I see all around, touch happiness and never part,

So no matter how far I roam I will always find

Myself at home on the journey I must travel,

The tangled thread of my life I shall slowly unravel,

And spin the two together so they become safely entwined.

To a new found freedom I will become willingly bound,

Tied to my imagination my last dreams will sail,

From a safe haven toward uncharted seas,

Carrying me over waves of emotion I will ride

Through any storms into calmer waters and there

I will be held breathless between earth and sky,

Where thoughts lie frozen in time to be woken,

When the wind blows again through a foam filled crest,

And I rise to dance light as air on the deep water.

You may gather from this entry that things are a bit tough for me at the moment but I have every intention of catching another dream so hang on to your hats!

Tags: earth, sky, sea, wind, dream, light, sail, home, journey, heart, dance, dog, boat

Roots

2008-09-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

Fallen tree your roots flying free,

In death you look victorious to me,

I sense your ancient spirit still,

And stand in awe, I always will,

You were the best and deserve your rest,

You stood firm and survived life’s test,

Though I am so small beside you now,

I’ll tell your tale if you will allow.

Borne on the wind of chance you won,

Your place right here under the sun,

Fed by the earth you fought and grew,

To a height attained by very few,

Your song is ringing through the air,

Still calling to any who would dare

To follow; grow straight and tall like you

And reach for the light in all they do.

Everything you heard and all you saw,

You hold in time like an open door,

Through which we can listen and look,

Some hear and see the day the earth shook,

As you surrendered the wealth in your store,

Returning her gifts with so much more,

The forest still echoes to the sound,

While you lie sleeping on the ground.

I touch the moment I heard your song,

It caresses the air with beauty, yet

The strident call wins every bet,

Always sounding both clear and strong,

I would walk quietly in your shade,

I would grow up toward the light,

And under the full moon of the night,

Try to match the shadow you made.

Tags: tree, light, moon, night, earth, wind, shadow, death, time

The Ides of September

2008-09-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

Misty morning in September,

Holds a summer to remember,

A leafy lane echoes the sound,

Silent waves weep o’er the ground,

The music flies on fragile wings,

See the soulful song it brings,

Hear the heart that beats the drum,

To pave the way for fall to come.

Green leaves turn to red and gold,

Branches bear the harvest they hold,

Flowers fade, yet see them sing

A song to winter and to spring

That autumn winds will carry far,

Taking the warmth of a yellow star,

To burn and keep the cold at bay,

Thereby in the light always stay.

Cast a web to capture the dawn,

And hold light against winter’s scorn,

No matter how hard strong winds blow,

Ethereal beauty will forever show,

Work woven with a simple goal,

Will always fulfil its’ ordained role,

I take this moment in space and time,

And picture it in rhythm and rhyme.

Tags: music, season, time, star, light, wind,

Ad Astra

2008-09-16T02:09:00.000-07:00

Fly, fly from yesterday

In hearts that remember,

The fifteenth of September,

Fly to the stars today,

But return to this land,

When it has the need,

Of every brave deed,

That for peace and truth stand.

Fly forever into bright blue skies,

Take our dreams so high

They can never die,

In tomorrow the future lies,

Tags: fly, sky, land, time,

Mirror, Mirror

2008-09-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

The air hangs heavy over discarded litter,

Such cheer laziness makes me angry and bitter,

A generation has come that leaves to another,

To care for this country like a sister or brother,

We’ve cosseted these selfish people too long,

It is time decent folk sing a louder song.

I took this picture within yards of a bin,

With some people so blind we cannot win,

I filled two carrier bags today,

With litter dropped on the Pennine Way,

No wonder the council tax is so high,

Clearing up after morons makes me cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Image credit ROB

Moving mirror hold my heart,

That once sailed bravely over thee,

Then whisper words to set it free,

And from you it will never part,

Together we will always weave,

Between the banks of gold and green,

Under changing skies we’ll be seen,

Echoing the places we have been,

Before it’s time for us to leave.

Image credit ROB &Photoshop

A rusting skeleton now lies,

Derelict and devoid of dreams,

Washed by water as it streams

Forward, and as yesterday dies

We shall sing our silent song,

Today to every tomorrow,

Laughter will conquer sorrow,

Sunbeams and moonlight we’ll borrow,

To dance with us where they belong.

Image credit ROB

The music will play for all to hear,

No lock can bar our melody,

Nor storm mar our serenity,

We are a way and always near,

Touch us with an open hand,

Watch the ripples wave with delight,

See beauty-displaying wings for flight,

Join in the dainty dance of light,

And love will flow through this land.

Image credit ROB

This is my last entry, as I need to gather strength to fight the distress noise is causing me. If I manage to bring it under control I will come back with more pictures within pictures, but for now many thanks to everyone who has helped and encouraged me. Kindest regards to you all.

Tags: litter, water, music, bird, earth, heart, love,

Boom Boom

2008-09-10T00:49:00.000-07:00

No picture, as my camera isn't good enough to capture these little creatures. However I thought I would take you on a visit to the particle zoo that will be opened by the Hadron Collider today :)

Let me take you on a visit to the particle zoo,

I'll go quite slowly, in case you are new

To the words and names of the little ones here,

I'll explain things carefully, so have no fear.

I'll deal with the Leptons, as in bandwaggon, first,

Since they're fundamental particles, now here comes the worst

They come in matter with an anti-matter twin,

With the same mass but opposite charge and magnetic spin.

The negatively named Electron, Muon and Tau

Have positive Positron, Anti-muon, Anti-tau pals now,

If I haven't confused you yet that's not all,

There are six neutral Neutrinos that nothing can stall.

Now we come to Quarks, as in up with the larks, they

Are bound by the strong nuclear force to stay

As Baryons, or Anti-baryons, at the atom's core,

In positive Protons and neutral Neutrons store.

There's a tasty set of Quarks in six different flavours,

When I read their names my bottom lip quavers,

Called Up and Down and Charm and Strange,

Top and Bottom complete the range.

Of course they all have their anti-matter twin,

So put anti- in front and widen your grin,

These names were given by seriously clever men,

So what chance has this poor idiot then?

PS Don't feed the bear facts

Tags: Big, bang

Nonsense and Nonsensability

2008-09-09T02:06:00.000-07:00

The three-toed Gobbledeegook looked askance,

He couldn't quite figure the steps of the dance,

He shuffled his feet and crossed his toes,

Where he left his socks no one knows,

Except maybe the Snifferlot with the extra long nose,

Could probably find them if he chose,

Everyone sighed a huge sigh of relief,

When the Snifferlot chose not to cause such grief.

The music changed from a waltz to a tango,

The Gobbledeegook threw himself into a Fandango,

The Fandango wasn't at all amused,

And politely asked to be excused,

The Gobbledeegook wouldn't take no for an answer,

And proceeded to try to entrap and entrance her,

She looked at his feet and counted his toes,

Six in total, three in two rows.

The Fandango realised the Highland Fling

Was the dance for the Gobbledeegook, and started to sing,

'With your number of toes, in two separate rows,

The waltz and the tango will bring us to blows,

The figure of eight is the dance for you,

Since you've been blessed with toes so few,'

So everyone threw their hats in a ring,

And danced for joy to an air on a string.

...running...out....of ...photographs! <G>

Tags: music, dance, ring

"Your if is the only peace-maker"

2008-09-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

The subject is another quote from Shakespeare, As you like it, and again I ask to be forgiven for taking his words to introduce mine.

Please do not confuse my positive 'if' belonging to my dreams with the negative 'if only' that ONLY belongs in the past.

If I were a pebble on a beach,

I would tell of the time I could reach,

To the passing clouds and peer inside,

Gazing at the treasures they carefully hide.

Percussion playing white horses pound

The ocean’s edge and the sound

Waves to the shore

And asks for more.

If I were a shell lying on the sand,

I’d persuade you to hold me in your hand,

Close to your ear, so you might hear

The sounds of the seas both far and near,

Percussion playing white horses pound

The ocean’s edge and the sound

Waves to the land

And wakes the sand.

If I were a single grain I’d be

Extremely difficult to see,

But gathered with others in a glass,

We could measure the hours as they pass.

Percussion playing white horses pound

The ocean’s edge and the sound

Waves to the dune

For another tune.

If I were a dune a shape-shifter I’d be,

Sculptured by wind an artist born free

To compose variations by day and by night,

A truly moving yet memorable sight.

Percussion playing white horses pound,

The ocean’s edge and the sound

Waves to the trees

Standing by the seas.

If I were a piece of driftwood flung

To mark high tide I’d have already sung

My song of life to the earth,

With both tragedy and mirth.

Percussion playing white horses pound

The ocean’s edge and the sound

Soars to the sky

As the waters fly.

Image credit ROB

If I were a bird a woodpecker I’d be,

Making my home in an old oak tree,

I’d hammer my message night and day,

The rings of time echoing what I say.

Percussion playing white horses pound

The ocean’s edge and the sound

Carries through the water

With the song of the Orca.

sorry no photo!

If I lived in the sea kelp I would be,

Young fish would find safety in and around me,

Fronds finding the light bending to the ocean’s beat,

I’d hold fast to the rock of ages with my feet.

Tags: sea, sand, tree, bird, light, rock, shell, wind, sky, music

On the Seventh Day

2008-09-07T01:16:00.000-07:00

Image credit DOUGY

I would give you a beautiful song,

Making any who hear it want to stay and belong,

To a time and place where there can be no wrong,

You would sing it day and night,

In dancing sunbeams and calm moonlight,

Silent music giving a moving sight.

Those who see your music playing,

Will hear and understand what I am saying,

As at their feet the earth is carefully laying

Priceless jewels from her guarded store,

And we see briefly through an open door,

The detailed design of nature’s law.

Love for the moment holds it forever,

Not even time’s sharp arrow can sever

The gently weaving thread that will never

Loose its’ hold on an open heart,

Promising that it shall not depart,

True love is eternal from the start.

Love never grows cold,

It burns as fiercely as in my youth,

When I first felt its’ flames of truth,

But now my heart is old,

Broken in the past,

Memories only holding more pain,

As they pierce my defences yet again,

Even betrayed, love will still last.

I reach up for love,

And would hold it safely in my heart,

But now unable to play its’ part,

It passes from above

Through strings that play,

The songs of every season,

Not acknowledging any reason,

Except love will find a way.

Love, greater than faith or hope,

Conquers every human fear,

Wipes away every bitter tear,

Steadies steps on the slippery slope,

It will not fade away when old,

Like the transient morning dew,

But glows as ancient rocks can do,

Given thyme granite grows with gold.

Tags: love, time, music, earth, heart,

Sometimes I wonder...

2008-09-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

... if I am mad to see the things that I do.

The water flows like champagne,

Bubbling beside and over the trail,

The storm delivered rain and hail,

Water now streams down the lane,

Surging through debris it dances,

Revealing a newly washed golden sky,

On which the reflections of stars fly

And the shadow of a comet prances.

The flood flows through my open mind,

Carrying pictures within pictures,

No borders or strictures

Can confine the thoughts that I find,

Dancing in the dark like dreams,

And words in bubbles rise,

Try on the morning for size,

And create their own light beams.

...and sometimes I know I am mad to see the things that I do.

The sun didn’t come out to work today,

He decided to take a holiday,

He went downtown and boarded a bus,

He didn’t say who he was; or make any fuss.

He looked all around; he searched with a frown,

He looked for a seat so he could sit down,

The bus was full only one vacant seat,

It was right at the front, he thought that was neat.

The lunch tray was set at just the right angle,

For his corona to rest on, prominence to dangle

Over the rim and through the spokes,

He wished the moon could see and tell one of her jokes.

The silence was broken by a surprising ‘brum’,

Which then settled down to a steady ‘hum’,

The sun was sure he hadn’t touched a thing,

But the bus had certainly started to sing.

It’s my radiation, was the sun’s first thought,

That shielding I bought isn’t doing what it ought,

The driver won’t need to turn on the heat,

For warming the place I’ve got everyone beat!

The driver, ah yes, now who would that be?

The sun thought for a second, oh gosh, it’s me!

Now where should I take this busload of folk?

I need to remember the moon’s last joke.

Now although the sun is exceedingly bright,

He loses his memory every night,

Which is why you hear many people say,

Dawn is the start of every new day.

How does he lose it? That’s the secret of the moon,

And she won’t reveal it any night soon,

Since she can tell him the same joke every time,

As Jupiter charges a fortune for silly rhyme.

Jupiter rolls with laughter around the pair,

Playing in storms with a humour rare,

The biggest and oldest a right royal red,

Two small ones in a game of catch up instead.

The sun steered the bus to Oo’s and ahs,

Out of the station under the stars,

An astronomer inside was completely dumbstruck,

He stared and couldn’t believe his luck.

What should have been daytime wasn’t, so he

Could now incredibly, amazingly see

Alignments he had held only in his mind’s eye,

So he didn’t wonder why the sun wasn’t in the sky.

Venus was busy washing her hair,

Mercury had run for his life to stare,

Mars shouted loudly his colour meant war,

Venus claimed he was bluffing and blushing for sure.

Neptune mystically arose from the sea,

Saturn repeatedly jumped through hoops in glee,

Uranus claimed ‘twas by his magic alone,

Old age had a spring, and water turned to stone.

A request for a happy musical ride

Was made by one then the other side,

The sun carefully searched his frequency band,

For one, Oh one that he could stand.

It was high noon in the night around,

So betting was started on the top winning sound,

Voted for by more than six and a half million,

The sun rounded it up to a simple trillion.

The bus rocked away from ten down to one,

Everyone agreed they were having great fun,

After that they all sent in a request,

So they could also be heard on the best.

And then when I’ve taken you home, said the sun,

I’ll listen to my favourite, because I’ll have done,

Everything to give you an interesting night,

When you were expecting to see daylight.

I think occasional madness is a good survival tool in this mad world.

I hope I gave you a smile especially if your day seems very black.

Thanks to Warrington Networks for the bus :-)

Tags: water, rain, light, thought, stars, shadow, sun, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, day, night

Quiet Reflection

2008-09-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Image credit DOUGY

Your song silently plays in front of me,

Like moonlight dancing on mercury,

Even Venus in her veiled beauty,

Cannot sing such a melody,

No image can capture the light I see,

Moving on water so gracefully,

No symphony could possibly be,

Simply so pure and free.

The river ripples with applause,

As your music rings these shores,

And calmly opens closed doors,

That are locked to violent roars,

Offering natural laws,

To peacefully end all wars,

With the sure strength that love stores,

And your song to the stars soars.

Tags: moon, venus, water, music, star, ring, simple, free

"All the Worlds a Stage"

2008-09-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

"He would drown the stage with tears"

Both the subject and the first line are quotes from The Bard (Shakespeare) I beg to be forgiven for taking them out of context and placing them with my poor offering. The first is from 'As You Like It', the second from 'Hamlet.'

If the skill with which winter’s coldest thought,

Turns wild waves of the ocean to iron that is wrought,

For white bears to play out their lives on stage,

Is forgotten by the waters, we will enter a new age.

Lands will be lost to the rising flood,

Productive soil turned to useless mud,

The Atlantic conveyor will be brought to its’ knees,

As the salt in the water falls by degrees.

Then by degrees will these emerald isles,

Feel the cold grip of winter’s deadly trials,

The cry of the wolf will be heard again,

As our beautiful country howls out in pain.

The shout is loud to save the seal,

Whose baby eyes our hearts can steal,

While the balance of nature hangs on a fine edge,

Listen to the ice screaming for a similar pledge.

This is my response to the news that another large amount of the ice pack has been lost to the Atlantic ocean.

Tags: winter, ice, water, cry,

Seaweed and Stone

2008-09-04T02:46:00.000-07:00

Image credit ROB

High cliffs of Yesnaby that once were far below

An ancient sea, now just a memory of a song

Locked in stone, a frozen clone that once swayed

With the beat of waters deep and shallow,

The sand of time has raised you to stand firm,

Against wind and tide holding inside secrets

Of an end to a beginning, winning a new role

Guarding the free from a cruel sea yet calling

All life on land to remember her deep melody,

Ruinous building that once held laughter and tears,

Now only wind and rain enter again to dance and sing,

A stone hewn from the land still stands outside the walls,

A deeper song plays on in its’ erect stance,

Echoes from ages past memories last and call

Between earth and sky to passers-by to remember,

Strength forged in a warm heart cannot be destroyed,

It reaches for the sun by day and stars by night,

And never forgets the mystery in the light of the moon.

Tags: Orkney, sea, memories, water, wind, rain, time, earth, sky, sun, stars, moon, echo, standing stone,

The Flip Side

2008-09-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

I don't expect you will like the 'B' side songs I write. I hesitated over presenting this side but decided my journal would have the 'full works'. Only then could it be a true account of my journey.

Where the earth and sky become one the unknown lies,

Memories like shining pebbles on a lonely shore

Abandoned by the water, weep for what they saw,

Faith clings to the rock like seaweed lest all hope dies,

Understanding is hampered by a barrier of fear,

Like a cold morning mist that cloaks the dawn,

When reason from the mind has been violently torn,

And the final limit to endurance draws near.

Tags: water, memories, faith, hope, mind, earth, sky

Earth,Fire,Water and Air

2008-09-03T03:18:00.000-07:00

The river calmly forbids the flames to enter her domain,

They dance through the reeds sending signals to the sky,

Smoke rises and with the clouds would try to fly,

Where the fire feeds little will remain.

Negative feelings are burned in the fire of my mind,

Painful memories writhe in a dance of death,

Ghosts rise and are banished with every breath,

And thoughts float on the water and peace always find.

Reeds unchecked would choke the river’s flow,

With old dead brittle stalks that do not bend but break

Where a small bird her clinging nest would make,

And safely sway in the wind on the new reed that will grow,

So my mind naturally destroys memories that would kill

The chance for new thoughts to build a safe home,

On the river of life where I constantly roam,

And use the winds of change to guide my free will.

Some unpleasant memories are still writhing at the moment in the fire I have lit under them.

Smoking them all out will take some time.

Tags: river, water, dance, sky, smoke, fire, memories, home, wind, free, bird

An English Rose

2008-09-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Deb for flying across the pond to my rescue and spending time looking into the problem I was having. This one is for you.

Raindrops fall on my head,

I bow to the earth,

And hear her mirth,

As they hit and run,

Their journey just begun,

But I remain instead.

After the storm I raise my head once more,

I won’t be blue nor yellow or white,

For I’ve been touched by a star in the west,

And from that day to the end of my quest,

I will reflect a heavenly light,

With petals that finally fall to earth’s store.

I would like to add all the other people who have offered to help to the dedication. Thanks, you are all stars.

Tags: rose, rain, star, west, light, earth,

A Small Boy, a Dog and a Ball

2008-09-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

This picture has uploaded without any trouble so this is my offering for today.

Image credit DOUGY

I see straight lines that dream

To be voluptuously curved,

Into a circle,

A beginning and end entirely unto themselves

Yet joined create a sphere,

A world in which to dream,

Three held together

By mutual desire,

To play in time such a rhythm the world stands still,

While the changes ring through the ages.

The game full of laughter

To be played

Giving, receiving unmeasured joy,

Happiness come home,

Full circle.

Tags: orkney, dog, ball, boy

Entries

2008-09-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

I am unable to upload my pictures.

I do not know what I am doing wrong, as they have been formatted in the same way as others that uploaded with no problems.

Obviously until this is solved there will be no more entries in the journal.

I have tried uploading the original of one of the pictures I edited. This was accepted with no problems however the picture requires rotating as do many of mine so unless I can fathom out what I have done wrong during the editing process it means many of my pictures are useless. I have tried to redo the picture but it was rejected again. Now I cannot get the site to work at all!

I do not know enough to be able to work out what is going wrong and I don't need the added stress this is causing. I thought of just using unaltered photos but that doesn't solve the problem and I will soon run out of photos that will upload and songs that I have written have no photos that will upload to go with them.

Evergreen

2008-09-01T01:45:00.000-07:00

Another good friend is allowing me to use his beautiful pictures of Scotland. Thank you Dougy, this song is for you.

Image credit DOUGY

Evergreen arrows from earth to sky,

Forest giants striding straight and true,

From valley to where permanent snows lie,

Your native land would be poorer without you.

Withstanding the worst of winter’s fury,

Sentinels during the darkest days,

We should listen to your life’s story,

For anything that could improve our ways.

Needle sharp, your leaf design,

Breathing through blizzards of ice and snow,

Never denuded; aye, there’s a sign!

When oak and ash shed all they grow,

After summer’s softness fed them fine,

The moment autumnal winds do blow,

A waking sleep you decorously decline,

A staunch friend you abide, or formidable foe.

Greeting spring with lofty ease,

The cry of the eagle echoing o’er your land,

Above foaming waters the approaching sun frees,

Acknowledging their right to the path they demand,

Scoring their songs to far-off seas,

Slowly calming turmoil in a loving hand,

Swaying in time to a summer breeze,

Under a blue and white sky you stand.

Tags: tree, colour, earth, sky, winter, summer, autumn, water

Invitation to a Dance

2008-08-31T03:28:00.000-07:00

Will you dance in red this morning with me?

Or hide behind a young oak tree?

Will you dance with me this morning in red?

Or wear a golden gown instead?

Will you dance with me? I’m in blue and white,

Together we make a heart-warming sight,

Take a chance,

Let us dance,

Through the day,

Today.

Then we can both sleep soundly tonight.

Tags: dance, light, tree, cloud, sky, sun, colour,

River Song

2008-08-31T02:50:00.000-07:00

No boundaries, no edge, no bank, no wall,

This river lives and breathes the rhythm of life,

She declared her love in one spring and now as wife

Flows freely ever faithful to destiny’s call.

You are welcome to drink her waters,

Or pass by without a second glance

At light’s reflection performing a dance,

Capturing images as identical daughters.

Rainmakers ride the winds of change,

Single shape-shifters sail a bright blue sea,

Gathered in a storm they rule the sky totally,

Invigorating the earth within their range,

This river floods onto reams of white paper,

Thoughts risen from an ocean of memories like clouds,

Drench mountains and valleys alike from torn shrouds,

Attenuation with time allowing torrent to taper.

Tags: river, water, light, cloud, time, wind, earth, memories, love, rhythm, life, spring

From the Child in Me

2008-08-30T01:24:00.000-07:00

For the child in you.

There is no ship or message in me,

I have been used and am now empty,

I am made of plastic to throw away,

Non-returnable, non-degradable, I’m here to stay,

Unless a child should come my way,

With imagination to use me in her play.

I could be a rocket to fly to Mars,

Then ever onward to a galaxy of stars,

She would carefully write a message for me

To carry to the future of space rocketry,

My cap as a nosecone, by the way it’s bright blue,

Which recalls my home world as seen by a few.

The child would choose her crayon with care,

What colour would go with words that dare

To speak from one world to anyone ‘out there’,

And what words would she, a child, wish to share?

A few simple words that would simply say,

‘Love from me to you, today.’

Tags: world, love, ship, colour, word, child, home, star, message

Greeting the world with a smile

2008-08-30T00:35:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's rage and rant I thought you deserved something different.

I pass this beautiful garden every day when I take the dogs for their walk.

I want to share the experience with you today.

Smiling to north, south, east and west,

This garden welcomes every guest,

It is hard indeed to pass you by,

When beauties with quiet confidence lie,

Under a fading summer sky,

How do they face winter without any fear?

Do they know they’ll return in the spring every year?

Tags: smile, flower, garden, sky, summer, spring, world, winter

Dies Irae

2008-08-29T01:20:00.000-07:00

I picked 'angry' for my mood but wish that aol gave me a drop down to include a lot of others that would also describe how I feel this morning after removing dog pooh left by an irresponsible owner scattered all over the pavement. My friend Rob calls them 'mines' and that is exactly what they are to the blind or partially sighted.

I would not spoil anyone else's day with a photograph of such ignorant behaviour, as I would prefer to generate a smile with the following dream.

If I could paint the sky the way I feel today,

A thundercloud would fly to catch the last sun’s ray,

Like the sword of Damocles hung over where you lie,

With every word I’ve sung held before I die.

They would fall like rain precisely and on cue,

You would call again but I would not hear you,

Thoughts would strike and burn a pathway to your heart,

You would have to learn a completely new part.

The litter you leave would drop like hail,

You would grieve that you consistently fail,

To clear up after your dog when down from the sky

It all falls like a log when you walk by.

I’d give sight to the blind so they might see,

You rewarded in kind and give them glee,

The earth would repay your selfish deeds,

And in wrath that day bury dangerous weeds.

Post script. The music has triumphed over my anger and I would choose 'relaxed' for my mood now.

Tags: cloud, light, rain, earth,

... and Dreams of the Future

2008-08-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Thistles and a standing stone tower over me,

Highland music flows on a clear mountain air,

My mind moves in a dream to a place far away

And I greet the cloudless sky of another day,

As into the fathomless blue I stare,

I see waiting for our ships the deepest sea.

Brave pioneers will carry our dreams tomorrow,

In a future and to places as yet unknown,

They will gather wisdom and learn new ways,

They will dream when their music plays,

As history has frequently simply shown,

Human spirit will rise above any present sorrow.

The clever tools I have dabbled with to alter the photographs I found by visiting The Cube one of the journals written by a free spirit called Deb. I strongly recommend her journals as both entertaining and informative.

Picnik does all the hard work and all you have is fun! There are no downloads and it is absolutely free.

Tags: dream, standing stone, thistle, sky, ship, music

Past and Present ...

2008-08-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

How do we know if something is good?

I believe the greatest test for anything is time.

The best music, art, literature and science is timeless.

The rest of us follow in the giant footsteps of genius.

The earth sings in waves of golden corn,

Two deep tracks hold the fallen rain

And it waltzes again with a bright blue sky,

I hear laughter as I pass by,

The moon is riding high above the lane,

And smiling back to the light of the dawn.

The oak tree stands like a silent guard,

Yet sends a powerful timeless call,

Into the future from a graceful past,

Visions of beauty that will always last,

Conquering oceans in ships fair and tall,

Now unfurls leaves and deals with pollution’s card.

This trail is cut through town and hill,

And echoes to the thunderous sound

Of trains steaming under a bridge of stone,

No longer standing strictly alone,

The sun streams through arching trees to the ground,

I see the passing lights of the carriages still.

A bond of friendship renewed every day,

Loyalty and trust reflected in their eyes,

They dance together under a new sun,

And will rely on each other before the day is done,

Here is where my moment in time lies,

Beside the track and on The Pennine Way.

Tags: pennine way, waves, dance, tree, <AHREF="HTTP: rel="tag" target="_blank" bridge? tag technorati.com>bridge, light, dogs, ship, pollution, guard, moon, earth

Physician Heal Thyself

2008-08-27T01:37:00.000-07:00

I went to see a pain consultant yesterday. He has kindly offered to try to help me with injections into my head although he cannot promise this will reduce the chronic pain. He asked me many questions including how often I vomited with the pain. I wanted to answer, "every day all over the white word page on my computer" but I have learned to eliminate my humour from replies to the medical profession. It has been so often misunderstood.

Image credit. ROB

I will be glad when winter comes,

And cuts the cord from memories of summer,

Severs the string that pulls on my heart,

So we might never part,

I will be glad when winter arrives,

And sheet ice covers the water,

Hiding her daughter,

A reflection that tries to reach me,

From over the sea,

I will be glad when winter brings sleep,

Yet summer dreams are the best,

Some stand the long test,

Of winter,

Fingers faintly stir through the long night,

And speak of many meetings in the pale moonlight.

***************************************

Image credit ROB

This awesome sight,

Towers high as if to touch

A halo of light,

An architect had a dream so tall

Foundations so strong,

It now elevates us all,

Shows us how small we are,

But with vision build beauty

With dust from a star,

Yet our best efforts lose

To the lily in the field,

Where beauty and simplicity fuse.

Image credit ROB

Tags: orkney, summer, dream, winter, memories, moonlight, Durham, cathedral, light, flower, beauty, simplicity

Plain Sailing

2008-08-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Sail on unseen waves,

Red sails unfurled,

Sail through my window,

And sing to the world,

And the sea will play

A haunting melody,

As one with the wind

You fly free.

Whisper your secrets,

Many tales told,

And bubbling foam

Around them will fold,

In a language known,

By those who roam,

Throughout their lives searching,

Yet found home.

Sail safely through storm,

Calm waters wait,

You may be slow,

But never too late,

The evening sun flings

Flames into night,

A haven painted for you,

By our star’s light.

Photograph by Rob who has kindly given me many of his superb pictures to play with.

Tags: Orkney, sailing, waves, light, sunset, water

Counterpoint

2008-08-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Slip silently away on a warm summer's day,

Sit beside the brook in a shady nook,

Or lie by the stream close your eyes and dream,

Dream within a dream and all will seem

To become real and you can steal

A moment from the past and make it last.

Ride through the glade in the dappled shade,

Hear the birds sing in the trees and on the wing,

Open your eyes wide and hear a song inside,

That cries to be freed and feel the need,

To sing out loud and tear the shroud,

From where memories lie refusing to die.

Ride with the wind in your hair to where eagles dare

To soar so high they touch the blue sky,

Let your heart climb to a realm sublime,

Spread your wings wide and without effort glide,

On a melody so fair you become one with the air,

And the music will dance as you quickly advance.

Ride on a wave so blue it echoes through you,

Send ripples that roll with the sun's ray they stole,

Make a moonbeam bend and return love you send,

Catch the faintest sweet scent the evening air is lent,

Hold it in your hand and give it back to the land,

That nurtured you with honesty so true.

Take rough ground in your stride ford rivers deep and wide,

Walk on and the ground rings with music you've found,

Walk through refreshing rain let it wash away pain,

Like tears that fall from the heavens for us all,

Walk on with faith and hope on any slippery slope,

Walk on and you'll bring a love for life when you sing.

Hear the music play alongside what you say,

Rise and fall with the beat until the song is complete,

Sail the high seas cross deserts with ease,

Sing to the sun and moon and your song will soon

Fly through prison bars and ride to the stars,

As one summer's day you slipped silently away.

A good friend, Rob, came to my rescue and compressed my picture files. So far everything seems to be uploading and in a much faster time too.

A Wave and a Wish

2008-08-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

I find you waiting in the early morning light,

Clear as the mountain springs that feed you well,

Sunbeams dancing on your smooth swell,

Gaily they move over your quiet might,

Their marble mask hiding a jewelled earth from sight.

I hear the music of mountains in the shallows at my feet,

Echoes from earth crumbled by you alone,

As you marched slowly by hard as stone,

Now carefully carried in waves soft and sweet,

Kissing the shore gently wherever you meet.

I see the sky reflected in a hazy veil of blue,

Drawn over your face then waved aside,

As if the wind would clean you and ride

On water as clear as the air above you,

And prance over pebbles of every hue.

I wish I could put here the intended photographs and the song to go with them but I cannot upload them. I am waiting for the help that hopefully will show me what I am doing wrong. It is my birthday today and I will treat the answer as a much needed present.

Tags: Derwentwater, earth, water, wind, mountain, light

Cycles Circles and Rings

2008-08-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

The few remaining ducklings huddle close to the shore,

A skua circles silently hungry for more,

Sea thrift crowds in the crevices of rocks from cliff hewn,

Over them dried seaweed contorted by the sun is strewn,

The waves slap the sides of gullies and gulp for air,

A seal calls to her pup in ocean tones they share,

Here the land touches the sea and the sky,

Here I could learn to swim and fly,

I would stand true on the ancient ground,

I would sing songs to the music around,

I would rejoice in every wondrous sound,

Let me dream on for there life I can bear,

Let me feel joy move on waves in the air.

Stones of Brodgar reach to the future from the past,

To show that courage can build a monument cast

In a circle that echoes a rhythm that surrounds

These islands and will never know any bounds,

Yet is held in simple grassy mounds,

Hills of Hoy play natural symphonies,

And return the beat in earth’s melodies.

Stromness houses huddled around the curving bay,

In a circle that would bind the land to the sea and say,

To the water within whose depths the circle also lies,

This port is a haven I have heard the cries,

For safety from storms under thundering skies,

Your moving mountains belong to the ocean deep,

The charms of tranquillity this town shall keep.

And for J Land

Wander lost,

Through a maze, mist

Even hiding the walls,

Count the cost,

Of right turns missed,

Take all the falls,

On my forehead ‘FOOL’ embossed.

So leave,

Any way, today,

Don’t bother to try,

And constantly weave,

Don’t try to stay,

Don’t ask why,

I’ll never haven achieve.

Or take hold,

Of the moment,

Determine to stand,

And my life mould,

With time well spent,

Not falling like sand,

On my heart the word ‘SOLD’.

Tags: holiday Orkney, home

Held by a Thread

2008-08-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

For any who are grieving, especially in Spain.

A thread of land reaches out to the west,

As if to touch a peaceful New World,

And take a longed for well-earned rest,

Those that are lain in this sacred ground,

Are held in the arm of one they love,

And lulled to sleep by the sea’s soothing sound,

To be lifted quietly far above

The cares and worries of this transient life,

And the fears and anger of war and strife,

A thread of land reaches into the sea,

And a song is carried on the wind to me.

A thread of land reaches out far beyond me,

And I would follow into the west,

I would sail across a blue green sea,

I feel so weary I could fall fast asleep,

To a lullaby sung in the waves and air,

Carried by white horses risen from the deep,

They would all my burdens easily bear,

Light of my load I would rise and fly,

Far above any clouds into a blue sky,

A thread of land reaches out passing me by,

I hear a song carried on the breath of a sigh.

'As far as an old stone wall,

Summer’s bounty is harvested,

For winter’s lean days,

Lying drying in a salty sea breeze,

Beyond an old stone wall,

Mown short green grass

Marks sacred ground

Harvested by an unseen hand.

The old stone wall stands

Between life and death,

Yet it stands only for life

Protecting the harvests

That holds Earth’s goodness,

Lives lived capturing light,

Golden gifts to carry warmth

From day into the night,

I have seen the golden hay,

Stacked and packed,

The sweet scent of summer captured

And held with care to fulfil a need,

I have seen a reflection of pure joy,

Light up tired blue eyes

With the last surprise

And gently lead the way.

I have seen beyond the horizon,

Through a mirrored window,

And having seen once would find

Everywhere the echo of a song,

I cannot learn to sing,

And only brings pain,

As I try time and again to touch

With words I don’t have the music I hear.'

Tags: holiday in Orkney

A Legendary Bird

2008-08-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Fly, phoenix, fly,

Burn your way across the sky,

Dip your wings into the sea,

Light a fire there for me,

Then take a message to eternity,

To ‘I will be what I will be’,

On the breath of a simple sigh.

Take the weak words of this tuneless song,

Wrap them in music and make them strong,

Let them rise like smoke, dance and play,

Then give them wings to fly far away,

Only dying embers of the fire will stay,

I will live where I simply belong.

Tags: holiday Dunnet Bay

Lest I forget

2008-08-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

Limpets that once held onto rocks with the strength of life,

In death hold hues that echo where they now lie,

I would remember the colours of this place.

Seaweed that once held fast to its’ ocean home,

Cream, green and brown that danced to silent rhythms,

In death abandoned by the water dried by the sun,

Lie like blackened corpses on a battleground,

With some like pickled red cabbage to mimic the blood

Shed by the few for so many to be saved,

I would remember the colours of this place.

The ground I walk on holding every shade on earth,

Difficult to find among the millions of grains,

Yet from afar one will always play the major role,

Like a precious resource that is easily missed,

Yet its’ far reaching power will shine colouring all

With a golden reflection like sunlight through honey,

So also some lives throw light for the good of all,

I would remember the colours of this place.

Rocks draped with life wait for the water to return,

Like rich brown oak in winter and fresh green larch in spring,

I would remember the colours of this place.

Tags: holiday in Orkney

Evolution in Reverse

2008-08-21T04:35:00.000-07:00

Yet some returned to their original home,

And the deepest oceans now roam,

Gentle blue giants and some whose song

Can be heard echoing through where they belong,

And others who play in sea foam.

Did they hear a song that could not be denied?

Echoing memories that simply cried,

High on the crests of waves reaching for the sky,

Carried in stormy winds on the sound of a sigh,

Remember the womb of life and return to abide.

How many hear the music of that timeless call?

Reflecting from a full moon and fall,

Onto their knees at the height of the seas reach,

Follow to its’ lowest point on the beach,

And dance to ancient rhythms they recall.

To drink these waters brings madness to the mind,

Songs of their magic brings sight to the blind,

Forever changing yet always constant they stay,

With such music to guide us on our way,

And majesty that nowhere else on Earth we find.

Tags: holiday in Orkney

The Weather

2008-08-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

The British are always complaining about the weather. It is a national sport to try to think of some new comment about the lack of what we want and the excess of what we get.

My friend on Orcadian weather calls a wind that nearly knocked me flat a 'summer breeze'. Apparently Orkney exports two things to scandinavia, beef and satellite dishes! The sea mist (dense fog) is also remarkable in that it can stand still in a force 10 wind.

It is not a good day for daisies to dance,

The air is too heavy for their petals to rise,

To rest on rocks, like the clouds, to them seems wise,

The thistles stand waiting for their partners to wake,

The clover spreads a rich carpet of green and red,

The daisies simply sleep soundly instead,

It is not a good day for daisies to dance.

Tags: holiday in Orkney

Hidden Haven

2008-08-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

No surf crashes on this stony shore,

Storm winds scream and the long grass lashes

Through the air for more,

Twisting and bending defying natural law,

Using earth’s gifts to conduct a symphony,

Banks of blades sway and roll in deep drifts

To a melody,

Originally written for the wide wild sea.

No horses ride into this sheltered bay,

The arms of this haven hold calm inside,

And whispers that say,

Come into my shallows and safely play,

And I will sing a lullaby of light,

Rest on ripples and I shall surely bring,

A song of the night,

And mimic the magic of silver moonlight.

No blushing rose lifts her face to the sky,

Clover and heather this windswept land chose

To grow with wild rye,

And capture the glow from embers before they die,

Here the music warms a weak failing heart,

With natural rhythms to ride any storms,

Nor will it depart,

The overture freely given is only the start.

Tags: holiday in Orkney

Call of the Wild

2008-08-21T01:09:00.000-07:00

They run through the Greenwood,

Echoing their ancestors,

In the early morning light,

And to some this simple sight,

Awakes a long lost dread,

But the wolf was tamed

To shepherd and guard the sheep,

Yet for some instinct is too deep,

Fear drives unconscious reactions,

That generate distrust in ‘man’s best friend’.

If man should fall victim to his ancient fears,

He will surely destroy all natural things,

Artificial light true darkness bars,

Drowning soft moonlight and heavenly stars,

All trees felled will leave a barren land,

As on Easter Island civilisation would fail,

Cover the earth with tarmac and concrete,

And the floodwaters will eventually meet,

Our future depends on our gaining wisdom,

To use increasing knowledge for the good of all.

Long may they run in days to come,

Boldly stating their claim to the land,

Through the dappled shade,

Honouring the promise made,

When they came in from the cold,

To share the warmth of our fires,

Let the leaves gently fall,

From Greenwood trees tall,

And the mighty oak rest and sleep,

While a river of stars the long night vigil keep.

Tags: Derwentwater

Open House

2008-08-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am a derelict, not ruinous,

And I am for sale,

My roof has been lost,

It was taken deliberately,

So I’m no longer a home,

No one needs pay for me,

You will pay for the land,

Upon which I still stand,

One day I’ll receive care,

And survive every gale,

My walls painted by laughter,

Not falling rain like tears,

And a garden will grow round me,

More beautiful with the years,

Under the stars I’ll still stand,

Singing the music of this land.

Tags: holiday in Orkney

Dawn Chorus

2008-08-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

The small boat cleaves through the dawn light,

And wakes the water with a working air,

An aerial entourage cries on the wing,

‘ Wait for me I’m coming too,

We are all following you,’

These plaintive appeals made and heard,

Renew an ancient bond between boat and bird,

And defeat the last remnant of the night.

Tags: holiday in Orkney, Hamnavoe

Dawn

2008-08-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

I stare at yesterday,

And dream of a brighter tomorrow,

Today is not worthy of attention at all,

I live for the future,

And carry pictures of the past,

Today is nothing that I wish to recall.

Now is a new today,

And I will be living my future,

If I could make it worthy of attention at all,

I would live every moment,

And make pictures that would last,

Then through time the music would call.

I sing of echoes through time,

Like the ramp that launches the boat,

Of the land but accepted by the sea,

To be part of her changing realm,

So the ships sail through the waves,

And find beauty in a motion so free.

Tags: holiday in Orkney. Hamnavoe