AT DAYS END (2022.08.22) The setting sun creates fire in the sky. Flaming yellow, orange and red. Filling heaven's dome on the westward rim. A quiet slow burning… that if you allow it… will slow down time, transforming burning consumption into transfixed wonderment, as the day is calmly destroyed in brilliant visibly-changing color. Birds fly to their nests creatures burrow in their dens and other resting spaces. And I, heart-harnessed to Phaethon's Chariot as it recedes over the horizon, am humbled by the beauty. My eyelids, growing heavy with the fading light, also find solace and rest. An ending for some. A beginning for others. The chirping of birds gives way to the chirping of crickets and lightning bugs twinkle at twilight in the shadow of darkness like stars on the wing that children can chase and catch with their hands then marvel at the magic within their grasp. Letting go to see the stars take flight. Dreamtime has come again. I wrote this poem while listening to this music and watching the sun set. https://youtu.be/O41y9vuVT3s Best if not played to loud and even better if reading the poem out loud (slowly with a sense of longing and wonder) while the music is playing.
color
sunday verses #11
4 haiku for the end of Autumn. (12/01/21) Leaves begin their fall. Colors changing while you watch autumn's rich pageant. (11/27/19) Cold, dark, windy night; trees shudder; dead leaves unchained make fierce their escape (12/01/21) Distant in the dark. Sweet sounds the soft piano. Music in the night. (12/01/21) Chill'd, damp autumn night. Sleepless bare trees sway slowly. Unwrapp'd, expos'd heart.
all out culture war?
I don't know if the rest of the world has the problem we have in America. We are in an all out culture war. Tolerance has completely dissipated like water being poured on red hot steel. I am sick at heart to see what has happened and continues to happen in my country. But it has to end. Personally I'm reverting back to unwokeness and shunning cancel culture. You can be unwoke and not participate in cancel culture and still be a happy decent human being. Don't you want to be happy again? Are you tired of being woke? Do you want to be more tolerant of those who differ from you and have different opinions from you? Do you want to be more respectful? Then join me now. We can make a difference. We must be the change that we would like to see. Like Eric Clapton sings in his new song - "THIS HAS GOTTA STOP" ... enough is enough... I can't take this BS any longer.... https://youtu.be/dNt4NIQ7FTA
Let's remind ourselves of Plato's Cave allegory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_cave In our time the cave is made of the walls we have built around ourselves as we stare at the screens of our phones iPads or other portable devices and shut everything out around us. Things that keep us cooped up and blind to reality even though they do their best to try and convince us that what they are showing us is reality. These devices only project shadows on the wall that people believe to be real. And the more convinced people are that what they see on their devices is "real" the further the cords of bondage bind around them making harder to pull away. It's time to put the device down and look around to come out into the daylight and be human again. Come out of the Cave. It's glorious out here in reality. Sure it's not always pretty but it's REAL! A great song and visual expression of this is in the song/video for A Perfect Circle's song DISILLUSIONED "It's time to put the silicon obsession down" (if you dare) https://youtu.be/BIsH686xWl0
happy november
Hello and happy November. Todays image was just taken this past Saturday 10/30/2021. To me it is a quintessential Autumn shot with color, texture and the theme of breaking down - the end of life. Enjoy.
Autumn
If you have followed this blog for a long time you know that I focus more on abstracts than nature shots when posting different photographs. That is because nature really only interests me about 5 months out of the year. Primarily October through February. The spring and summer months I can take it or leave it. I don’t find nature that inspiring March through September, photographically speaking. I’m not against it – as I have seen some absolutely stunning photographs from Spring and Summertime – it just isn’t my “thing”. So since we are into the month of October I’ve decided to post only nature shots this month. Enjoy. And for those that love the abstracts – they will be back again. Oh, and just to clarify; these are not new photos. They are from years past.
“that’s me in the window and me in the bar”
I’ve not been out with my camera taking photo’s for a couple of months. In fact I think I’ve only been out a couple of times this year so far. The photo’s I’ve posted in the past several weeks and going forward are old files. I’ve been digging through old files from 2007-2010. About half of the photos I’m posting are re-edits from personal favorites of the past. So for those who followed me since my flickr days or my very first blog (which I deleted in 2014 to start this one) – some images may look familiar. The other half of images, you have seen recently or will see going forward, are files I’ve never processed or shared before.
Today’s post includes one of my personal all time favorites. Back in the days when I was on flickr I posted a sepia tint version that was cropped. I’ve re-edited it without the crop and without the sepia which I like better now. I also like the original color version just as much as the black and white. For me this image evokes a number of different moods. This image is from 2008 and was from an abandoned music store window (the name of the store I’ve long forgotten) with a poster of some musical artist (I don’t remember who) promoting some recent recording of the day. I like this image for it’s abstract qualities and the composition of the crumpling poster. If you look closely, you can see in the windows reflection, my car which was parked across the street – LOL. This building was on East Exchange St in Akron, OH and was demolished a couple of years later to make way for a college football stadium.
Song for the day: That’s Me In The Bar by A.J. Croce
when real becomes unreal 2
tiny bubbles
Thing 1, 2 & 3
I love this triptych of images. For me they inspire some very complex feelings. The original photographs of deadwood and rocks in water were just “throwaways” until I decided to go very dark and just leave some of the highlights viewable. Then they started to take shape and almost feel like living entities.
I wanted to post some music for these three images but nothing came to mind. After spending 2 hours looking for something I gave up. So to all my wonderful viewers; do these images make you think of any particular piece of music? If so – feel free to post it in the comments. Thanks.
state of the economy
not sure which version I like better.
column of color
Oblivion Hymns #5
This image is one single image taken on the same level. I was enthralled with the various light fixtures mixing Tungsten and Fluorescent and the colors. Obviously sitting in my car and shooting out the drivers side window. This was on the lowest level of the underground parking deck. Level 5 or maybe Dante’s 5th level of hell.
coupling rust and color
Everybody Breaks
sunrise
leaf and the heart of stone
growing a pair
orange strap
Summer’s On The Rocks
Chill Out
Sometimes EVERYONE needs to take two steps back and “chill out”. Keep cool.
alien appendage…
…from my life in dreams.
... on being and becoming ... 