Post Secret Image & Thoughts

This is profoundly moving. Two strangers connect through a common joy or sorrow neither knew they shared until the author/artist was bold enough to ask and tell someone random - on a bus. How much do we really know about each other? How much difference might it make if each of us smiled at a stranger? Rather than looking straight ahead or burying our face in a newspaper while on public transit or public spaces, what if we looked into the eyes of others? What if we really listened when we ask someone how they're doing? I think these small gestures have huge transformative power. This "Post Secret" is a beautiful reminder to remain open, do talk with strangers and practice random acts of kindness.

Poetry in Motion

An Afternoon Elegy in Free-form

I lay in bed listening
to the water run
through the pipes
between the walls
while you showered.

After a silence,
I strode out of the bedroom
and was stopped in my tracks
at the sight of you.
On the Salvation Army gold couch
white towel, whiter skin, hair slicked
and your face
which did not turn
arrested my step

The unnatural aura
lit that corner
from the palette of sofa and skin
And your face
Post-coital, post-crying
was focused on something
beyond my realm

reluctantly I withdrew
to the shower
I brought my towel
and your face

And when I emerged
the change in you
was complete.

Impromptu Haiku

Frost ices the window
Warm breath rises in steam -exhale.
Enjoy this moment.

Henri Matisse's Le Bonheur de Vivre

Full of colors and grace, this painting is one of my all time favorites (and the poem it inspired is below -enjoy!)


Dear Henri

I’d like to live here
in pleasure
in love
just nature
no judgment
from god up above

swimming in colours
defying what’s real
enjoying our bodies
redefining “ideal”

celebrating the skin
each other
our curves
like children
just playing
no high purpose served

laughing and dancing
we’ll swing hand in hand
no boombox required
we’ll make our own band

and when the night comes
we’ll drink wine from full cups
with smiles on our faces
we’ll sleep huddled like pups

and await the sun rising
a fresh, beautiful day
no voicemails, no deadlines
no e-bills to pay

in this magic garden
there’s not much to say
but if anyone asks
I’m extending my stay.

C. Cavalle
-inspired by Matisse’s Le bonheur de vivre

4 New Poems, 4 New Poets

Following the poetryfoundation.org listing, I found some really engaging voices and poems:

Night Drive by J. Allyn Rosser
The author managed to capture the specific allure of driving at night while letting unsettling thoughts roam free. She entwines the almost hypnotic state of the play of light on pavement, her forever unborn child and then, somewhat surprisingly, turns the act of driving into running away from life, afraid of love, afraid of being afraid. I really liked her honesty, but didn't see it coming at the beginning - thought her style was clever and incredibly sad.

Margaret by Spencer Reese
I've always been fascinated by the strength of the human spirit and each individual's capacity for grief. In this poem, the author presents us with a woman living in a rented room who's been unloved, left and swindled at every turn. How she displays no photographs, only playbills and prefers theatre to real life which has been unbelievably devastating to her, yet she persists. The poem is the author's ode to her, her "slow waltz" smile, and guides his reader: "As you leave Margaret behind and turn the page, listen as the page falls back and your hand gently buries her. This is what the past sounds like." A stunning closure to a life lived largely alone and quietly and which cleverly creates an anonymous moment of respect for Margaret, from each reader, before moving on.

Song in my heart by Diane Suess
A short piece of brilliance about the banality of every day and living alone. Boldly comparing herself to god (without a "Mrs. god") -which is another piece of writing brilliance (who considers god's marital status?) I found this poem thoughtful, provocative, and irresistibly ugly in the author's few lines.

The Mother's Loathing of Balloons by A.E. Stallings
Going against everything a woman is "supposed" to feel about motherhood and her children, A.E. Stallings gives us a character who is appalled and drained by kids and leaves. No remorse, no planning - just running at gut level stream-of-consciousness through the whole piece: sickened, annoyed, tired, free and done. Though I'm sure most would be off-put by this poem, I absolutely loved it's honesty, rarity and sparseness of prose.

visual inspiration

Georgia O'Keefe's ability to capture the nuances of nature never fails to amaze me. Nature, itself is a constant source of inspiration to me, but I'm not a talented painter. O'Keefe's skill of drawing the viewer right in to the heart of a flower or cruciferous plant, opens a secret world of perfect complexity and meditation.