Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands...
The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Category: Raven’s Witterings
Rime Royal Notes
The Rime Royal is a seven-line stanza, with each line consisting of ten syllables or iambic pentameter and a rhyme. Rhyme Scheme: ababbcc Example Invisible Hand by Jez farmer I sought the sanctuary of her lightWithin silver beams that caress the earthShe brings lost souls comfort throughout the nightAs witches dance and sing with full … Continue reading Rime Royal Notes
Transcendence
Where do your thoughts go as you float into this moment this beautiful little death...
Haiku
Form: Haiku seasons turn to springand lovers will soon returntwo hearts on a perch ©JGFarmer2022
Who Rang the Bell
Drinking tea while reading Ivor – perfect. Excellent poetry
I am a tiring old writer
like apunch-drunkfighter
who buckled and fell
before the round eleven bell
lying flat on the bloody canvas
wishing Iwereambidextrous
like the incredible Emily Dickison
(Oh, she must have been!)
and I still have more stories in my subconscious
ring the bell for round twelve
I am in the corner, blindly courageous
sitting here within my dizziness
waiting for the new world to stop being carnivorous
Ivor Steven (c) January 2022
Mallards — Wing Flapping — Sonoran Images
You may enlarge any image in this blog to click on it. Click again for a detailed view. Today I’m posting images of some Mallards — two males and a female — engaged in behavior that I’ll call “wing flapping.” This is something that ducks of every species seem to do. A duck sitting on […]Mallards … Continue reading Mallards — Wing Flapping — Sonoran Images
Out to Sea
Out to Sea
Form: Saraband Sonnet
Along the stream there gently floats
Autumntide's gift, a golden leaf
That trails the water like sailboats.
It slips away beyond all reach
On past grass laden river banks
Beside the kirk as folks give thanks
Onward! Onward to sunset's beach.
The fishing girl with eager eyes
Reflecting gold in disbelief
On it goes beneath moonlit skies.
The dancing shadows lift their boughs
As if to say a bon voyage
The faster waters beckon with rage
And echoes round the ocean's soughs
©JGFarmer2012
Talking to the Trees – Rowan
Luis (L), the Rowan tree, is the second tree of the Ogham Rowan Energy Luis provides a protective energy that also helps to increase the psychic abilities and aids the energies set in motion by the birch tree. Throughout history rowan twigs have been used to protect from and ward off evil, curses, bad luck … Continue reading Talking to the Trees – Rowan
Essence by Sight of Emptiness
Adapting their lifestyles to become just as one And accepting all the creatures they have found Just consuming what they need instead of waste The resources of a dying earth the needs help of everybody who wants to survive...
Guardians of the Secret by Jackson Pollock
Guardians of the Secret by Jackson Pollock Guardians of the Secret1943Abstract ExpressionismOil on canvasSan Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, USA Often interpreted as an allegory for the emergence of unconscious impulses into conscious thought, ‘Guardians of the Secret’ represents a fusion of Pollock’s sources. Drawn from the imagery of African, Native American, and prehistoric … Continue reading Guardians of the Secret by Jackson Pollock
Variegated Feeling
Does love come in varying colour shades And do these colours shine vibrant and proud Or gently humble in pastel cascades...
American Wigeon, On The Wing — Sonoran Images
You may enlarge any image in this blog by clicking on it. Click again for a detailed view. Today I’m featuring another image of a duck in flight. This is a male American Wigeon. Several duck species migrate to southern Arizona during the winter months. American Wigeons seem to be here in the greatest numbers. […]American … Continue reading American Wigeon, On The Wing — Sonoran Images
My Beautiful Muse
My Beautiful Muse
Form: Saraband Sonnet
I hear her speak in lunar light
With eyes that sparkle through the dark;
Her gentle words demand I write.
Each time the pen and paper meet
I feel her presence drawing near
And like a kiss I turn to greet
The love I hold so very dear.
Now paper sheets are waiting for
My fountain pen to leave its mark
And speak of love like ne'er before.
The ink responds to softly tease
With words my heart has longed to say
For her who set my soul to ease
The woman I love more each day
©JGFarmer2012
Epitaph by Nothgard
I am on the way to my favourite destination I am on my way to the local charnel house I love the silence, the smell and the prospect I think I like the company of the dead...
Haiku
Form: Haiku feathers chase breadcrumbsin the silent winter sundining done they fly ©JGFarmer2022
Dare to Dream
Dare to DreamForm: Balesian Sonnet She left me standing here without a chance,alone, no light to see within this place.Yet still, I dream beyond this night's disgrace,no words of love to guide my heart's romance.I long to hear her voice caress my ears;she is the blood that surges through my veins;my love complete, in faith … Continue reading Dare to Dream
Beyond Veils
Closed eyes gaze beyond veils of death In echoes found in sleeping dream The destination in a stream Flowing freely on restful breath...
Flannel Shirt
A poem that really touches those feels
I got this new flannel off Amazon yesterday
and I’m wearing it to work this morning.
It’s black and blue and really brings out the color
of my skin, I think.
My father and I used to love shopping
for plaid and flannel shirts at Goodwill,
and I’m pretty sure he’d try to guilt me
out of this one I’m wearing if he were still here.
Dad, I’m not sure what you want me to say.
You knew it was bound to happen eventually,
you had that heart condition and
the drinking wasn’t slowing down,
so, are you really surprised you died the way you did?
The way I heard it described was that
they found you in a flannel shirt and jeans
and your socks weren’t all the way on.
You must have looked like one of Santa’s little helpers
on your side in the fetal position,
reaching for…
View original post 161 more words
Don’t Go Far Off by Pablo Neruda
Don't go far off, not even for a day, because -- because -- I don't know how to say it: a day is long and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep...
Monkey
MonkeyMedia: Graphite on paper Monkey --- Jez Farmer 2021 ©JG Farmer 2021
Archaeological Walk on the Beach
They mark the ascent of Man footsteps under Formby sands...
Green Dress by Wayne Thiebaud
Green Dress by Wayne Thiebaud Green Dress1966- 2017PortraitureOil on canvasCollection of the artist ‘Green Dress’ is a portrait of the artist’s daughter, Twinka. Thiebaud began the painting in 1966 and completed it 51 years later in 2017. Using a repeating colour palette Thiebaud creates a harmonious composition in which the green of the dress is … Continue reading Green Dress by Wayne Thiebaud
Seagulls
Seagull cries over Cardigan Bay Remembering all that fateful day A spell cast by Dylan beneath the sea Wave comes fast to steal away...
Falling Stars
Today I had my cup of Assam reading Stephen
We are all but falling stars
Shedding light across the sky
Nights inky canvas brought to life
Morning dew the joy we cry
Silence bleed the coming song
Our breeze in rustled leaves
Whispered grace to sooth the fire
Lost youth for which we grieve
Starlight twinkle before the dawn
To sleep with each new day
And rise anew as dusk draws near
Kissing the sun as it slips away
Stoic Poetry
blue iris
water and ice
More amazing imagery from, Paul
Nue Couchée by Dorothea Tanning
Nue Couchée by Dorothea Tanning Nue Couchée1969-70SculptureCotton textile, cardboard, 7 table tennis balls, wool and threadTate, London, UK A sculptural piece, Nue Couchée introduces Tanning’s weighty, contorted, and headless figures. The work stands in defiant subversion to the languid reclining female sitter of classical painting, confronting outdated fantasy projections of the female body by presenting … Continue reading Nue Couchée by Dorothea Tanning
Tatermarsch by Johannes Haarklou
https://youtu.be/9OU64-uk_3U TatermarschPoetic Piano Johannes Haarklou Johannes HaarklouOrchestralBorn: 13 May 1847, Førde, NorwayNationality: NorwegianDied: 26 November 1926, Oslo, Norway Haarklou was a composer, organist, conductor, and music critic. He attended Balestrand lærerskole followed by the Stord lærerskole, graduating in 1868. Haarklou studied the organ and harmony in Drammen, and in 1872 studied with Ludvig Mathias Lindeman … Continue reading Tatermarsch by Johannes Haarklou
Haiku
Form: Haiku blossom pink cascadesas golden trumpets make hailthe coming of spring ©JGFarmer2022
The Four Times of Day: Evening
Those muted tones of silver-green Reflect the path where faith has been And the man of mystery makes his way A pilgrimage at the end of day His silence, understanding the scene...
Heart of Stone by Suzi Quatro
Well I gambled, played the game Took my chances once again Yes I'm always a fool for love when I'm feeling lonely And I know he's caused me pain But I need him just the same 'Cos I ain't got the strength to say no when the nights are colder...
Dust and Rain
Ivor says it all here
Feature Image Above: A watercolour painting by Carole Steven.
Dust and Rain
Life eventually returns to dust
Think me morbid if you must
Funerals do that to me
Eulogies sting me like a bee
That gentle bite numbed my mind
To that sea of blurry faces, sincere and kind
My selfless tears did drown
In memories of pain
Of her being lowered down
On that day when I could not stop the rain
Ivor Steven (c) January 2022
Thich Nhat Hanh passes on . . . May our loving thoughts strengthen him.
.
This body is not me,
I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I have never died.
Look at the infinite oceans and skies filled with stars,
Manifestations from the basis of consciousness
Since beginningless time I have been free.
Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,
sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.
So laugh with me,
hold my hand,
let us say good-bye,
say good-bye, to meet again soon.
We meet today,
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source every moment.
We meet each other in all forms, on the myriad paths of life.
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh, “No Death, No Fear”
(11 Oct 1926 – 22 Jan 2022)
Text and image source: The Cosmic Dancer https://www.facebook.com/1575991952646313/posts/3097589553819871/
Poetry – Senryū – Speaking with the Moon – A poem by Goff James
Poem Attribution – Goff James –Speaking with the Moon
Copyright (c) 2022 Goff James – All Rights Reserved
View more senryū poems by Goff James
Thank you for your visit
Art Music Photography Poetry Quotations
Searching for locations: The Mary Valley Rattler, Gympie, Queensland, Australia
I have a passion for visiting transport museums, to see old trains, planes, buses, cars, even ships if it’s possible.
This has led to taking a number of voyages on the TSS Earnslaw in Queenstown, New Zealand.
Many, many, many years ago on Puffing Billy, a steam train in the Dandenongs, Victoria, Australia.
The steam train in Kingston, New Zealand, before it was closed down, but hopefully it will reopen sometime in the future.
The London Transport Museum in London England, which had a lot of buses.
The Workshops Railway Museum in Ipswich, Queensland, where once the many steam engines were built and maintained, and now had only a handful of engines remaining.
However, in the quest for finding and experiencing old transportation methods, we came across the Mary Valley Rattler, which runs out of Gympie, Queensland, Australia.
The ride begins in Gympie at the old Gympie Railway station, and…
View original post 374 more words
Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day
Artist Exposé | Street Photography — Edge of Humanity Magazine
Photographer Laurence Bouchard is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of these images. To see Laurence’s body of work, click on any photograph. All images © Laurence Bouchard Edge of Humanity Magazine is an independent nondiscriminatory platform that has no…Artist Exposé | … Continue reading Artist Exposé | Street Photography — Edge of Humanity Magazine
Hands by Russell Edson
There was a road that leads him to go to find a certain time where he sits. Smokes quietly in the evening by the four legged table wagging its (well why not) tail, friendly chap...
Heart of Fire by Brian Easdale
https://youtu.be/Y597hYxTctk Heart of Fire1948Film and TV Brian Easdale Brian EasdaleOpera, Film and TV, Orchestral, ChoralBorn: 10 August 1909, Manchester, UKNationality: EnglishDied: 30 October 1995, London, UK Easdale was a composer of operatic, orchestral, film, and choral music. He was best known for his film music including Black Narcissus(1947), The Red Shoes (1948), and The Battle … Continue reading Heart of Fire by Brian Easdale
Haiku
Form: Haiku in starlight she shinesas tendrils of night embracethe moon is a friend ©JGFarmer2022
Men of the Docks
The collars turned against the icy chill A huddle of dockers stand the long wait In hopes of work, a day’s wage pays a bill,,,
My Tribute to Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (Meat Loaf)27 September 1947 - 20 January 2022RIP Another rock legend passed into the celestial hall of fame. Meat Loaf will be greatly missed. Now, I will let the legacy, his music will speak https://youtu.be/3QGMCSCFoKA https://youtu.be/J6ARMiC_KgA https://youtu.be/2t11CwlG444 Three anthems of rock that have been a safe haven for me since … Continue reading My Tribute to Meat Loaf
Cat
CatMedia: Graphite on paper Cat --- Jez Farmer 2021 ©JG Farmer 2021
Balbus by Marriott Edgar
I'll tell you the story of Balbus, You know, him as builded a wall; I'll tell you the reason he built it, And the place where it happened an' all...
Journey to Art
They say he was born with it, as colours fit on the boards. The practice of many years, hiding tears, with no rewards...
Ghosts by Japan
When the room is quiet The daylight almost gone It seems there's something I should know Well I ought to leave but the rain it never stops And I've no particular place to go....
Fragmented Nightmare
How does love speak within the silent soul That lies shattered beneath a broken dream Where no human words can reach to cajole...
Today’s cultural moment
Lovely
Because you haven’t lived until you’ve heard “The Wellerman” sung in Ukrainian.
English translation:
There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of that ship was the Billy o’ Tea;
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down
Blow, me bully boys, blow!
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum;
One day when the tonguin’ is done
We’ll take our leave and go.
She had not been two weeks from shore
When down on her a right whale bore;
The captain called all hands and swore
He’d take that whale in tow.
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum;
One day when the tonguin’ is done
We’ll take our leave and go.
Before the boat had hit the water
The whale’s tail came up and caught her;
All hands to the side, harpooned…
View original post 202 more words
High recognitions . . . Talk is powerful.
.
“Talk is powerful. Speak bad about someone and you expose all the ugliness in him, in yourself and whoever happens to be paying attention. Once exposed, the wound begins to fester and all are hurt.
Speak good about the same person, and the inner good within him, within you and within all who participate begins to shine.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe
Text and image source: The Lights of Kabbalah https://www.facebook.com/319023911580096/posts/2136068566542279/
Haunting Echoes
Haunting Echoes
Form: Sapphic Stanza
Sappho wrote her poetic metered stanza,
Lyrics penned for cantillate voices; reeling,
Flowing songs from long ago; haunting echoes.
Drifting from Greek Isle.
©JGFarmer2014
About the Jez of It 