Tag: WDYS

Blather · Music

Bohemian Rhapsody

Sally7 Comments

“Does this picture inspire you to write something?” — Sadje’s question for the What Do You See prompt (WDYS)

Immediately Bohemian Rhapsody was playing in my mind —

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see

Freddie Mercury, Queen

And then I went on to listen to song after song by Queen.

A friend asked me the other day what my favorite music was. Sometimes a question just stops me in my tracks. This was one of those questions. I stopped to ponder.

“I listen to Celtic folk music all the time,” I told her, which I do. The Corries, the Sorries, Dougie MacLean, Old Blind Dogs, North Sea Gas, Celtic Rovers, Malinky — and the list could go on. Whenever I hear another group I like, I just add them to my Celtic playlist.

But if I was stranded on a desert island with one piece of music to listen to for the rest of my days it would be Dvorak’s New World Symphony. I decided that years ago and it still holds true. Bucket list item: hear that symphony played by a full orchestra.

I told my friend that.

That conversation led me to think about a top five or top ten that I would take to that desert island.

This morning’s dive in Queen made me fully aware that Queen would make the list. Man, oh man, Freddie Mercury could sing, couldn’t he? And the lyrics are rich and full and hard to get to the bottom of, right?

Would I choose Bohemian Rhapsody? I don’t know, but I do know I could listen to him sing forever.

Andrew Peterson would make the list. I’d have a tough time choosing one of his songs, too. He would make it for different reasons than Freddie Mercury. Andrew is one of the most genuine, sincere, kind, generous people I have ever met. His songs reflect that. And he knows my name — which is pretty huge to a hide-in-the-background-stay-behind-the-scenes kind of person. He has no reason to know my name, but he does. Or did at one point — which counts, right?

When it comes to the Celtic music, I would choose a song, not an artist. Dark Lochnagar is based on a poem by Lord Byron and speaks to a longing for the wild freedom and beauty of Scotland.

… England ! thy beauties are tame and domestic
To one who has roved on the mountains afar:
Oh for the crags that are wild and majestic !
The steep frowning glories of dark Loch na Garr !

Lord Byron

Yep, love that song no matter who sings it.

Sadje asked if the picture inspired me to write something. It inspired me to fall off the edge and delve deep into the music that I love.

Rabbit trails are crazy like that, aren’t they? Photo of an illusion —> Bohemian Rhapsody —-> Freddie Mercury —> music on a desert island. Makes sense, right?

poetry

Variations on a Teapot

Sally13 Comments

I’m a little teapot in the air
As you might guess I’m exceedingly rare
How it is I do this I can’t share
I’m just a teapot in the air

I’m a special teapot
You’ll agree
There’s magic all around us for those who can see
Maybe you can fly too! Count to three —
Click your heels and follow me

~~~~~~ OR ~~~~~~

I’m a little teapot
Watch me fly
I hover, I pour, then zoom on by
Signal that you need me and I’ll try
To zip on over and resupply

~~~~~~ OR ~~~~~~

I’m a special teapot
Yes, it’s true
Here, let me show you what I can do
I can pour hot tea all over you
Be nice to me or get your due

~~~~~~ OR ~~~~~~

Maybe it’s a secret teapots keep
More than holding water and letting tea steep
Oh, the things that happen while you sleep!
Or do you think a broom just sweep-sweep-sweeps

This is my response to the “What Do You See?” photo prompt.

Now I’ve got that song running through my head. [sigh]

poetry

Bikes in a Tree

Sally24 Comments

What do you see?
Bikes in a tree.
Bikes in a tree?
How can that be?

Susie and Mike
Each rode their bike
Along the dike —
But they should have hiked

Well, they rode along
Singing a song
But the ride was too long
Was that last turn wrong?

When they veered to the right
They went up, up — what height!
What a beautiful sight!
What a terrible fright!

The road suddenly ended
And they misapprehended
Though the view had been splendid
Now they were suspended

“Can’t we get the bikes down?”
Miss Susie did frown.
Mike looked around
“Maybe someone in town?”

Now there they are stuck
Such terrible luck!
To be so far amok!
(Though slightly awestruck)

Bikes in a tree!
Oh my! Oh me!
I’m sure you’ll agree —
’tis something to see

The photo at the top was the What Do You See prompt for this week. The kitschy poem just happened.

poetry

Unsettling

Sally11 Comments

an etheree —

Why
do you
unsettle
me? Why can’t I
look into your eyes,
your face, without feeling
pain? Is it the burden on your
shoulders? Is it that I will never
fathom your life, so different from mine?

This is in response to Sadje’s What Do You See? prompt — the photograph above.

poetry

Emotions

Sally10 Comments

Door half-open
Door half-closed
Shadow – light
All transposed

Cup half-full
Cup half-empty
Is it lacking?
Is there plenty?

It’s too hot
It’s just right
It’s too cold
What a plight!

Close one door
New one opens
Toying with
My emotions

Happy, sad
Frightened, brave
Peaceful, mad
Giddy, grave

Rarely I
Am only one
I’m a mix
Shadow-sun

This is my response to Sadje’s “What Do You See?” photo (above)

I spend way too much time with my counselor talking about emotions. At one point, she gave me a list of emotion words to help me identify what I’m feeling. It’s not that I don’t have feelings — it’s that I have trouble naming them. Well, I take that back — when I was going through a particularly challenging time, I shut down my feelings, and, as they have come back, they’ve sometimes re-emerge in a tangle.



Life · poetry · Stewart

Life happens to all of us

Sally14 Comments

You know this could be you, right? You, too, could
Be buffeted by winds and beat up
By trees and cars and birds and kids.
Life could happen to you in
Mean ways. Your student debt
Insurmountable
When medical
Expenses
Overtake
You.
Bank
Account
Empty. Cards
Maxed. Marriage bro-
Ken. A move. All the
Degrees in the world can’t
Float you high enough to miss
All the brutality of life.
That fatal heart attack was mercy.
Don’t judge. Don’t judge. Don’t judge. This could be you.

This was the prompt from Sadje’s WhatDoYouSee? post this week.

This week, in sorting through papers, I came across a box of unopened mail from my brother’s apartment when we cleaned it out after he died from a heart attack nine years ago. Most of it was bills and debt collections notices. Yes, depressing.

Travel

That Time I Went To Copenhagen

Sally5 Comments
Picture that inspired the post — What Do You See? #193

Red-eyes are the cheapest, you know
Flying through the night
Arriving thousands of miles away
But time gets scrambled up
Like eggs

The brain is scrambled, too
I have the address for the Air BnB
It looked easy
From the comfort of home
But it’s not
Especially when the map is swimming with words
Not in English
And I don’t know Danish
And I’m too tired to ask

I’m traveling with kids
Big kids
One 18, one 21
I’m still the mom
I should be able to figure this out
One gently takes the map from me
Leads the way
And we arrive

poetry

That Time I Got Bored Writing an Epic Tale/Poem

Sally7 Comments
What Do You See? prompt

You wish to wed my daughter, lad?
You’re not the first to ask!
I challenge you to prove your worth
By performing one small task —

’Tis straightforward but quite hard
(She’s my most precious bairn)
To win her you must bring to me
The red bird of Raigmore Cairn

The wee red bird, with magic song,
And feathers ruby red
Elusive as the unicorn
And more powerful, it’s said.

So I set off on this my quest
To far-off Raigmore Cairn
I battled dragons, dodged wizard’s spells,
My true love’s hand to earn

I rescued maidens trapped in towers
Hunted mighty stags
And on my journey shared my wealth
With beggars dressed in rags.

At Raigmore Cairn, I searched and searched
But could not find the bird
My spirit low, I knelt and wept
When suddenly I heard
The sweetest song that filled my soul
’twas Raigmore Cairn’s wee bird

By now, you’re getting bored, I’m sure
With this drivel-twaddle-tale
Let me skip up to the point
At which I finally fail

I caught the bird, I rode back home 
Fought dragons along the way
Rescued maidens, hunted stags
Blah-blah blah-blah blay

My true love’s castle rose into view
The red bird sang a hymn!
Until I saw the water there —
Alas! I cannot swim!

There are many things that I would do
To win my true love’s hand
But there’s just one contingency
I must stay dry on land!

the wee red bird of Raigmore Cairn

Actually, this is a close up a mosaic mural I saw in Virginia.

Do I really need to tell you that there is no wee red bird of Raigmore Cairn? I mean, there really is a place called Raigmore Cairn. Here’s a pic:

But I’ve never been there and know nothing about it.

All I could think when I saw that picture was about a knight who overcame all sorts of challenges on a quest but then couldn’t cross the final water obstacle.

#whatdoyousee

Alzheimer's · dementia · poetry

Remember That Dress?

Sally6 Comments

My memory’s Rolodex spilled on the floor;
Once neatly categorized, now no more,
Like that drawer full of photographs dumped in the bin.
I’m so glad you rescued it. Now where to begin?

Did we live in this green house before the old farm?
Oh! There’s Grandma’s quilt — the one that was warm!
Remember this outfit? Remember that day
When you took Johnnie fishing and they all got away?

Look! Uncle Charlie! Where does he live now?
He’s been gone five years?! I’d forgotten somehow.
What about his fancy red car in this shot?
Of course I remember! You think I forgot?!

But who is this tall man holding a lad?
No! That’s NOT my son. You are quite mad.
My son’s in the backyard building a fort
Or playing soccer — he does love that sport

Oh, please help me sort these. I can’t do it alone.
Most of these faces are people we’ve known.
My memory’s slipping. Okay — it’s a mess!
But look at this photo! Remember that dress?

This is in response to Sadje’s “What Do You See” prompt. #Whatdoyousee

She posted the photo above, and this was the poem that grew out of it.

poetry

Hitchhiking

Sally11 Comments

Okay — here’s the challenge I’m trying today. It’s called “What Do You See?” The question is, does this picture inspire you to write something. I wrote a poem.

Yo, buddy, can you give me a lift?
It seems the whole world’s gone adrift

Rusted cars kinda wrecked off the road
I’m worried this whole place will explode

So, buddy, shoot that ray thing o’er here
You know, just make me – *POOF* – disappear

I’m game for wherever you’re going
Half the fun is the really not knowing