© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
June 30, 2015
June 28, 2015
Happy Haiga Day!
Friday I felt a renewed sense of hope for America!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
June 25, 2015
Poetry Friday--"Pastoral Politic"
I've ranted and raved here before on various topics. Today's poem, obstensibly about a wildflower, is more about a lobbying group that thinks all politicians can be bought and that the American public is made up of the fearful and the ignorant. They take pride in America's #1 ranking in the world.
Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. I enhanced the illustration with bindweed flowers photographed locally. The illustration is from An illustrated encyclopædic medical dictionary. Being a dictionary of the technical terms used by writers on medicine and the collateral sciences, in the Latin, English, French and German languages (1890), courtesy Internet Archive.
The horrific act of terrorism, which took place last week in South Carolina, left me feeling empty. What have we become?
The proliferation of guns is one aspect of the tragedy. Another is mental health. And the third, is a something that makes everyone uncomfortable--racism. Most people deal with it through denying it exists. The following turns denial on its head:
As individuals we must become aware of our language, our interactions, etc. Recognize that things we've done or said, however unintentional, may be perpetuating the problem of racism in America. We must strive to be a model for the younger generations. I found a link to a "toolkit" that may provide you with a place to start in thinking about racism and kids.
This week's Round-Up is being held at Carol's Corner. Last Friday, Carol posted a prayer poem by Maya Angelou, which, if granted, will make my post for today totally irrelevant. I welcome my irrelevance.
The horrific act of terrorism, which took place last week in South Carolina, left me feeling empty. What have we become?
The proliferation of guns is one aspect of the tragedy. Another is mental health. And the third, is a something that makes everyone uncomfortable--racism. Most people deal with it through denying it exists. The following turns denial on its head:
As individuals we must become aware of our language, our interactions, etc. Recognize that things we've done or said, however unintentional, may be perpetuating the problem of racism in America. We must strive to be a model for the younger generations. I found a link to a "toolkit" that may provide you with a place to start in thinking about racism and kids.
This week's Round-Up is being held at Carol's Corner. Last Friday, Carol posted a prayer poem by Maya Angelou, which, if granted, will make my post for today totally irrelevant. I welcome my irrelevance.
June 23, 2015
Haiku Sticky #311
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. This was my entry in CKK #56, back in February.
June 21, 2015
Happy Haiga Day!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. The photo of the bee on the vetch flower taken in Manchester, NH and added to the painting "Marguerites, Wood Lilies and Vetch" by Tom Thomson (1915). The painting is courtesy The Athenaeum.
June 18, 2015
Poetry Friday--"Deciphering Angel"
Many months ago I stumbled across a blog called, New Hampshire Garden Solutions, which took me through the icy winter months and then happily through spring. I've learned quite a bit about NH wildflowers that I didn't know, and even more about some flowers I was already familiar with. Then, I came across a quote by Lydia M. Child at the bottom of a recent NH Garden Solutions post, "Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning."
It fit nicely with my Sketchbook Project theme and resulted in the poem below. A big "thank you" to NH Garden Solutions blogger, Allen Norcross! I asked his permission to use a photo he had taken, and he generously shared the photo with me. Summer officially begins this weekend, so I think this is a good way to end Spring!
Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading. Poem © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo © Allen Norcross, used with permission.
Mary Lee is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-Up at Year of Reading.
It fit nicely with my Sketchbook Project theme and resulted in the poem below. A big "thank you" to NH Garden Solutions blogger, Allen Norcross! I asked his permission to use a photo he had taken, and he generously shared the photo with me. Summer officially begins this weekend, so I think this is a good way to end Spring!
Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading. Poem © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo © Allen Norcross, used with permission.
Mary Lee is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-Up at Year of Reading.
June 16, 2015
June 14, 2015
Happy Haiga Day!
Click on the image to enlarge for easier reading. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
June 12, 2015
Poetry Friday--Sketchbook Project 2016
I've begun the Sketchbook Project for 2016. The theme I chose this year from the list of options is "Hark! Angels!" I posted my first illustrated poem on a Sunday, so you may have missed it. You can find it here. I have a few more poems written, so expect to see more down the road!
Rather than cut and paste illustrated poems into the sketchbook, I may get brave and actually do my illustrations directly on paper. Like a real artist. We'll see...
The poem for today doesn't even have an angel in it, but I have my poetic license to guard me against nit-pickers.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
The angelic Jama Rattigan is hosting this week's Round-Up, be sure to stop by!
Rather than cut and paste illustrated poems into the sketchbook, I may get brave and actually do my illustrations directly on paper. Like a real artist. We'll see...
The poem for today doesn't even have an angel in it, but I have my poetic license to guard me against nit-pickers.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
The angelic Jama Rattigan is hosting this week's Round-Up, be sure to stop by!
June 9, 2015
Haiku Sticky #309
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Originally submitted to April 2015 Shiki Kukai.
June 7, 2015
June 5, 2015
Poetry Friday--"Summertime, 2015"
I stumbled across this version of "Summertime" by a singer, Jerry Kruger, who was unknown to me. I found her interpretation to be delightful. But, after a quick search, I found nothing of significance about the woman. Ah, well. If you know anything about her, please share!
The song got me to thinking about this summer. I know, I know, it's still spring, but we've had a few hot, sweaty days already. (This week has been the complete opposite--bone-chilling rain.) I gave a little nod to Jerry Kruger in the poem (aside from "easy livin'"), can you find it?
Summertime, 2015
No easy livin' this year--
the street's torn up
to lay new water pipes.
Construction dust
coats everything from
window panes to bronchi.
Add heat and humidity
and sweat slowly runs
in muddy rivulets
pooling behind knees.
Faces shine greasier
than a bucket of chicken.
No easy livin'--this year
only dirt without the joy
of being a child at play.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
I've already been assigned the first recipient in the 2015 Summer Poem Swap. After June 22, expect a lot of original poetry being shared on Poetry Fridays that are the result of this year's swap. Many thanks to Tabatha Yeatts who originated the annual project and who continues to handle the logistics admirably.
Buffy's Blog is the place to be today for the Round-Up, so hurry on over!
