javadoug

Beyond eager precipices only I extol

2012-01-28T22:31:00.001-05:00

I was feeling quite poetic,
so I wandered on by to the dark deep woods in the depths of snow;

Once inspired by your own rhymes indelibly blazed upon my soul,
I scribed a thousand lyric words, as set upon my goal,
and whence the gorgeous spark did slowly dim,
I grasped one ember hoping for another whim,
to swell ardent verse beyond eager precipices only I extol.

Tales of Hoffmann
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBlSJStwaVY

First Red in a Sea of Green

2011-08-30T22:09:00.000-04:00

On a vigorous afternoon bike ride I noticed a lone sycamore leaf with a beautiful shade of red. I picked it up and rode down the road to a quaint spot in the still lush and green woods. My composition took a few moments - it's not easy to get a leaf to stay in twigs. I call this 'first red in a sea of green'

advertent - heedful

2011-08-29T00:57:00.001-04:00

I had an acquaintance once who in all things nature was universally aligned, yet in all things politics was diametrically opposite. We tended to both be advertent with all things email/online conversations, and those that hardly ever got back to inquiries were the great unwashed that tend to be the so-called moderates/independents -- is this irony or is there a better word to describe it?

can't get enough

2011-08-02T21:25:00.001-04:00

can't get enough
of blue skies and sunflowers
can't get enough
of whiling away the hours
looking at nature
every plant and creature
beauty in everything, including rain-showers

Spanning the gulf of time at Gullfoss

2011-07-06T06:49:00.001-04:00

If I could say to a lovely lass, meet me at the misty banks of Gullfoss, I would do so in a time machine, and we'd meet in between, spanning the gulf of time and tide that separate our respective places in the universe.

Should I stay or should I go

2011-06-23T22:39:00.004-04:00

Will it rain or no?
Should I stay or should I go?
It will stop and then we'll play.
The rain won't stop us anyway.

Great-horned Owl

2011-05-13T13:10:00.001-04:00

instant dilation! Still having fun watching the young owls mature.
This is one owl, and the eye was dilated, and then he turned toward the sun and it was quickly smaller and not dilated.

Big Yawn - Great-horned Owl
I really like going back every morning to see these cute owls. It's fun! All these years I've waited to see one, and this Spring I have!

Great-horned Owl chicks

2011-05-09T07:51:00.006-04:00

A funny thing happened on the way to see the Great-horned Owl chicks at Harrison Hills Park, Allegheny County. I saw one that looked like this:

I've seen them there on and off for about 10 days, and this seemed strange to me. I've never seen one laying on his stomach before. At first I thought he was sick or worse, dead. But when I went back the next day, there they both still were, as fine as ever. It was a bit depressing in that intervening time period. So he was just laying on his stomach, staring down at me.

Great Horned Owl

2011-04-29T08:25:00.003-04:00

An owl for my eye,
as anything but shy,
staring toward sky,
blue heavens do not cry

By substance

2011-01-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

Flashing reflections quickly dash across my vision,
like sleek stylish impressions without action;
Well dressed and goodly spoken,
yet underneath somewhat broken,
by substance it compares as just a fraction

It's quiet in nature - in winter

2011-01-15T21:46:00.001-05:00

It's quiet in the stillness of winter, nature holds back it's fervent calls,
except for tinkling of water,
and the occasional outburst from the pileated woodpeckers,
it's quiet, the hush is deafening.

Lightning in a Jar

2010-12-23T18:03:00.001-05:00

wisping of breezes

2010-12-22T18:10:00.004-05:00

bright and still with nary a sound
but the wisping of breezes
in the treetops and grass all around

and to wander

2010-12-01T06:53:00.002-05:00

...and to wander in the fields,
then to discover, the beauty, the allure,
with dark brown locks that curl,
that long hair beautifully offset
by the floating pink flower blossoms,
in the warm summer air, is a thing to behold!

Temporal Articulations

2010-11-30T23:22:00.002-05:00

Energetic symbols of frivolity
transcend the crusty corners of my mind,
as sudden dawning of exuberance
sprouts beyond the feeling left behind.

cede the night's fun

2010-11-23T23:27:00.002-05:00

It was 2:31 and she wasn't quite done,
'cause her appointment with destiny had barely begun.
Temporal positioning may cede the night's fun,
yet the visage of alacrity would soon dance with someone.

originally posted here:
www.flickr.com/photos/annatheodora/5201574346/

I couldn't resist !

2010-11-04T23:14:00.000-04:00

'Twas softly gliding within vivid dreams of yore,

Where visions dance like angels planting sultry lure,

Expectant not of intrigue nor netting new amour,

Surprises least predictable are hardest to ignore.

Anoetic bluebells double dipped in blutterbunged ferns,

Gobbled ferly halos globed with sticky gloppened sauce,

As surly fauna sing impressive sacrifice to our lazy hall,

Whence mirific vision slightly brightening, as I awoke.

It was a merely a dream,

but soft, what light in yonder sphere of influence does shine?

It is she. Reality has intruded upon my slumber,

and felled my world and verse quite torn asunder.

Unobserved and unforeseen she leans,

Gliding effervescently like bees above the petals,

under fragrant blossoms tinged with tawny green,

adorned with dulcet character, as best as I could glean.

Instant recognition, bombarding daggers pierce my mind,

Affected by her countenance, shear and light sublime,

Was now my plight forever fast forward future fine,

Obsessed with slight affection, embraced forever mine.

These simple boundaries bar the heavens between our minds;

When I eschew half the mundane road blocks, that gate before my way,

Then could I break free from these shackles? If so I'll gain colossal vigor,

and now, sinuating through my veins, this deep allure does sway.

Lapsing to inaction, I've lost my initial focus,

but never gone is the focus of what my goal should be,

a forever lasting connection to the thoughts and poetry

and abstract philosophy that might persist beyond temporal acquaintance.

Please never forget the extrapolated impressions that project into future thoughts,

although absent, I'll always be there in a plane far above the

dimensions of our physical knowledge,

upon thine is the hope of what was mine.

I couldn't resist!

Agile Wavelengths Align

2010-07-28T22:23:00.004-04:00

Curves align agile limbs of laden trees,
Clearing pathways yonder yet to find,
Gold mist rising from crestfallen marshes,
Like the amber haze afresh clearing from my mind.

Supple movements capturing anew imagination,
As the dream along the edges of thoughts periphery,
And still I know that she is out there waiting,
poised for one more rendezvous epiphony.

As planets rotate, and stars align,
Our course is set once more again,
To meet at apex heterodyne,
Mixing inverse wavelengths which we engrain,
An attraction deeply affixed within time.

Come, once again,
upon the revolution of our eliptical paths,
meet once again,
talk for a while,
and try to get to know one another for a spell,
before we part,
to our diverse destinies with stardust written;
suspend that certain future for a while with me.
C'est la vie.

Wink

2010-07-21T07:12:00.001-04:00

breathe deep, listen far, introspect much,
a moment of silence has given me such;
now off to work, and with a wink and some luck,
the rest of the day unfolds with a gentle touch

Genesis

2010-07-14T20:15:00.001-04:00

Pixilated potentate dilute beyond the frame,
hides behind a filament ill-suited for the game.

--large--

Butter and Eggs

2010-06-15T00:03:00.001-04:00

But soft, what have we here,
Angels wrapped in petals as rare apparition.
Yet it is but your cheek, as yellow and white
With some orange hue to remind me of you.
The shades envelope my mind as if to spite
That memory that can never in fruition
Come complete to fulfill my desire or kill my fear,
and gentle as that vision I'll always keep you dear.

Take Heart

2010-06-10T23:16:00.000-04:00

Take heart in nature's infinite majesty held
up high unto a place one sweet heart can meld,
revered with subtle faith that one other might know
the value dearly sought and thus we both can grow

Fire pink my native child

2010-05-29T23:37:00.000-04:00

Firepink my native child
my fervent though of thee,
flying down the lane so wild
on my bike to see

--large--

Diverging paths

2010-05-28T21:22:00.004-04:00

Land's end - the end of land.
What's left - the sea.
Limits beyond our imagination
verging on limitless, that mass of ocean free.
When it is soiled we are roiled,
yet barely a prick upon her knee,
that beautiful sea.
And she will return to thee,
unscathed, you'll see.

To each other were are but masks,
not seeing the real visage behind,
not knowing each other, really.
What is there we don't see?
Beneath the mask is a person,
the person we may never see.
Why not reveal what lies beneath?
Why are we always hiding.

Divergence, it begins at birth.
We start out alike, we see others,
we make friends easily.
Then we form clicks, groups,
or we hide from the world in
our own individualist hibernating way.
We diverge, until the time we realize
the folly of our ways.

Fair voice ensure

2010-05-24T21:53:00.002-04:00

Cite vibe demure
Note ring allure
Fair voice ensure

Sibelius Concerto played by Hilary Hahn:
blogs.pittsburghsymphony.org/2010/05/preview-hilary-hahn-...

Vast woods of green

2010-04-20T20:40:00.001-04:00

Lush meadows immersed beside vast woods of green,
spread flowers forth through fragrant fields pristine,
enchanted trees in nature's realm,
where fairies dance on limbs of elm,
and forest land to breath the air so clean

The Mermaid

2010-04-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

Vast oceans of written words are scribed with kindled passions running through the veins of inquisitive souls -- vivid passages glisten with the sweet love revolving in one's sphere of influence whence the thoughts and senses acquire a greater dimension of fluency. When I strive to extol vast hemispheres of new worlds yet to be experienced, I feel the exhilarating essence of induced feelings of gleeful anxiety. And I, the lowly observer, listening to passages of music made bare before my ears, often find instances of interlude yet to be savored, sometimes conjuring before my mind's eye an adventure to taste and to grip in ones own two hands, an affair to remember and a new encounter to thrill the heart in barely veiled anticipation. Yes, these are the events that drive fresh adrenaline to stir my interests, and as the senses stir, progressively the concert becomes my intimate and the venture is complete.

Recognizable bits of beauty

2010-04-14T07:49:00.002-04:00

Happy to ride my bike
and listen to the sounds of nature:
spring peeper frogs far off in the distance,
yet distinctly recognized,
woodpeckers making commotion,
sweet song birds singing and
various sundry other recognizable bits of beauty,
sights and sound,
with the fresh Spring wind blowing
refreshingly on my face as I ride.

Observe the patterns and reflections in the water.

Floating along the calm surface of the creek, every Spring these water skimmers are mating.

It was about 45 minutes of lots of photos.
After a little while I found the perfect spot for the blue reflection, then I kept my eye out for them to float through that spot, and kept snapping.

Spring Colors Spring Forth, yet

2010-04-09T23:37:00.001-04:00

The anointed ruler stumbles on,
trampling subjects 'till he's gone;
the governed rise against the fool,
that dimming luminary unfit to rule.

Written in my perceived fashion after Shakespeare's style, as per my daughter's invitation to aid her in her Shakespeare homework assignment :)

--large--

once chance

2010-03-30T22:31:00.001-04:00

Dreams and aspirations roil delinquent time,
but idle consternation is sure to set the crime.
Delve deep, once more, beneath the scarlet sky,
one chance, now lost, has welled the azure eye.

Empty Embrace

2010-03-22T19:49:00.006-04:00

I reached, but she was no longer there,
and as my reward 'twas an empty hollow embrace,
these fragile hands no longer feel her supple silky hair.
Would I awake from a dream bereft of her sweet grace?

Alone, like the planets that revolve around the sun,
some with moons, some with none,
yet all alone are they in their darkest void of space,
never slowing, never yielding, till their path is done.

Lost souls wandering, connecting with only means
of simple communication, like light beacons between the stars,
some understood, others pass us by, missing our horizon,
until the heavens unite our worlds, a journey ever far.

Fräbel Glass at Phipps Conservatory

Holst: Venus

Woven Aural Shades of Green

2010-03-03T21:17:00.001-05:00

Aural shades of recumbent visions never seen,
mix the message of my mind between white and green;
Will she remember my thoughts never had,
perplexed as I am, uncertain when I'm glad,
surreptitiously inventing notions of thoughts foreseen

Creatures of impetuous flavour

2010-02-13T08:20:00.004-05:00

This is the place of the wood anemone,

yet their time is not ready to go,

they are under the snow.

Perhaps a season of Spring,

patient in its deliberate temporal positioning,

our bright, airy delicate flower will bring.

Until then we creatures of impetuous

flavour of sight and sound, and even mind

may frolic

on top of the snow in our winter's playground,

to every season yet may we dream and grow

Art with PS

2010-01-26T18:00:00.004-05:00

by Tracin

Conjure forth a theme

2010-01-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

Conjure forth a theme

Sweeping of arms and lunging of motion
evoke in a word a sense of commotion,
similar phrases conjuring theme
this sequence of notes just aren't what they seem.

Then did arise adroit hands on the keys
with a melody scored like a spirited breeze,
or cascading like water tinkling on stones,
or songs of the birds amongst all the trees.

Flourished embellishments contrasted in time
keenly epitomize this favorite of mine.
Harmonious development continue to grow
into more than you hear, but not less than we know.

splashed

2010-01-18T20:34:00.003-05:00

strikingly splashed globules of paint

alien friends

2010-01-16T18:52:00.001-05:00

Entangled in my art

2010-01-16T09:13:00.002-05:00

Entangled in my art as I appear
ensnarled, I've bartered with the sun
for contrast briskly clear.
Textured composition
as roots of trees cohere,
my camera in position
I'll meld within their sphere.

But soft!

2010-01-15T21:13:00.004-05:00

Manifold color with this blue Frabel glass statue.

--JULIET appears above at a window

"But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!

JULIET
Ay me!

ROMEO
She speaks:
O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.

JULIET
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet."
-- Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

Old man of the woods

2010-01-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

The old man of the woods reached his frothy arms way high to the sky
They say I am a white oak, but at my age I feel more like gray
He stretched so high above the highest competitor of the canopy
And halfway down, illuminated greenery surrounded his pealing fray

When I grew up, there was a small lane, called Twin Oaks Lane.
Twas a very secluded lane rarely traveled
of course I used to ride my bicycle there whenever I could

Certain parts of the hilly lane were lined with Pennsylvania mountain
laurel, way up on the steeply inclined ridges on the left
On the right was a beautiful little stream stretching off into the
deep dark woods. So many birds and so much fauna and flora
climbed over my head and around my way -- the sights and sounds
brought secluded joy to my young heart.

Twin Oaks Lane led to a park, beyond tree lined meandering section,
just adjacent to a field, a farm, a different habitat.
The park was a wondrous destination, a place to ride to, a place to
stop and hike and see the various sights. One section was covered
with a whole set of pine trees, I'm told were planted in the 1930's.

Eventually, when I was just this youngster yet, but beyond the teen
age years, by a single year, I met another, who's heart was enthralled
by nature. But that is a whole other story.

My glorious white oak tree, I've seen you yet again.
Stand ever so tall for me, don't abandon me.

www.westmorelandconservancy.org
I'm a member of this organization, also on the board.
We are trying to acquire the land where this particular white oak tree stands.
I took a stroll in these lovely woods. And this photo is my keepsake.

Ninja Frosty and I

2010-01-09T16:47:00.006-05:00

I'm posing with Ninja Frosty.
He may not look like much, but watch out for those hidden moves.

The miracle of creation

2010-01-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

I created Frosty, and it is a miracle!
Frosty's hat is completely covered with snow, yet he looks happy!

This is my daughter's poem for school:

The joys of God are seen in his creation,
Which fill the world with life and elation.
They are shown through the sky and seas,
and through the miracle of the land and trees.
We ponder on why and how they got here,
and wonder if creation just did appear.
God's creation expresses his abundant love,
while he watches us from heaven above.

--large--

upsidedown underneath

2010-01-02T08:47:00.001-05:00

upsidedown underneath stood the smiling shutterbug,
for art as perspective was the primary goal,
place the camera on a step of a children's sliding board,
then dash around and stand as steady as a pole,
the trees are upside down,
I'm lying on the ground,
said first glance as proper frame of reference stole

--large--

Tiny Mushrooms on a Tree

2009-12-31T09:59:00.003-05:00

Tiny mushrooms on a tree,
Hide your angels under thee,
When the snow does hide your wealth,
Then no longer need to stealth.

--large--

Skeletal Grain

2009-12-29T23:54:00.003-05:00

Apparently I purchased Photoshop Elements, not knowing the difference between that and the regular Photoshop. Elements doesn't have a 'Pen' tool, which was in the tutorial I was following. Well, without the Pen tool I wasn't able to accomplish what I set out to do, but rather instead, I played around with layers, and made this funky layer then did some funky 'toy' effect. Oh well.

It kind of reminds me of the segments in a dinosaur display at a museum.
Call it: Skeletal Grain

--large--
Original:

Diffracting waves

2009-12-26T20:00:00.002-05:00

Diffracting waves encircle tiny tufts of grasses puffed with shiny glare,
Sun sets beyond my reach where dreams lie idle beyond my grasp,
Resuscitating instances of future glow and color lapse,
it would be mine if I've tempted fate and braved my fears,
but do I dare?

It's out there...

Perchance it's what I've been waiting for.

Solitude

2009-12-23T22:41:00.005-05:00

One lonely leisure afternoon the trail laid bare before my way,
remote seclusion summons hypnotic spell I must obey.
Subtle solemn silence set amongst the shiny snow
is sure to rip this emptiness from my soul whence it did lay.

messages sent through vast starlight

2009-12-22T00:26:00.001-05:00

These heavenly bodies floating through the universe are in reality
Yellow puff blossoms on green in the cactus room at Phipps Conservatory.
Multitudes are found on a tree, and they are quite small.

I walk by day in green covered woods, although they're white,
where song birds sing beneath the sun and crickets chirp by night,
and she is near, although quite far by sight,
yet we converse by messages sent through the vast starlight.

A statue robust in glorious hue

2009-12-18T19:01:00.002-05:00

Seeing in all its glory,
the drama and seeming movement of its form,
the gentleness and purity,
the grandeur and flavor
unsurpassed in sight and light,
simulated with a model,
a statue robust in glorious hue,
perceptions forged with depth,
and one lingering impression yet to imbue

Gently fading

2009-12-17T23:34:00.000-05:00

Gently fading, drifting off to sleep;
a kind of conscience transition betwixt these waking and sleeping states of mind
where hyperbolic hysteresis transforms slowly, and when perchance
I'm yanked back along the curving spline from sleeping to waking,
that infinitesimally greater bit of energy spent is greater than that of the original journey down,
now up I'll spring into startled quickening alertness difficult to divine.
And what have I lost, or what beauty gained?
Entropy cannot kill my fertile mind.

Poised beneath the petals

2009-12-16T08:44:00.002-05:00

Alone beneath the petals,
Poised without a peer,
Parabolic potentate,
Plainly does appear.

Consumes my sight

2009-12-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

A star, ever so bright, explodes beyond my grasp,
her luminance shines yellow like a supernova of light,
A perfectly highlighted flower of Christmas Cactus,
sharp contrast curves along her supple form, and consumes my sight

3 times and 4 squared

2009-12-13T10:46:00.007-05:00

Pictures give me inspiration for writing:

A cold wet December, so dark and so gray,
Twice as bleak now that my love is away,
My mind in disorder, my heart well astray,
Glee torn asunder, what chance for today?

Yet deep in the shadows beyond where I lay,
One glimmer of hope, one glint of a ray,
Like a star in the night, diffuse and soigné,
It beckons my soul to keep patient this day.

As milkweed seeds fly on a wing and a prayer,
And cycles of tides forge temporal fare,
She will return with her luminance there,
And I will rejoice 3 times and 4 squared!

Panta rhei

2009-12-07T23:28:00.003-05:00

An inspiration, held aloft or yet neigh,
Panta rhei,
Conflagration, as the jugglers held high,
Panta rhei,
Orange red globules trickle to earth, oh my,
But don't sigh, Panta rhei.

Precious soles lose touch,
yet still held high in my eminent eye,
now perhaps they are juggling, but I won't cry

If Panta Rhei --
everything's changing,
then what has changed?
Like juggling, the balls and clubs are in the air,
yet they cycle around again,
only to travel their path yet again,
Like the cycles of the earth.
Sure, Panta rhei, but we'll travel that road again,

someday we'll fly.
Perhaps we'll meet again,
Panta rhei
www.flickr.com/photos/panta/523320577/

fly butterfly fly

2009-11-23T23:29:00.002-05:00

I represent the 1% of folks that are interested in butterflies.

So hello my lovely little butterfly, how do you fly.
Your beauty is alluring,
It takes my breath away,
Your clarity is defining,
white and black and gray.
But why do I try to catch so lovely a creature as you?
You deserve your freedom,
so fly, butterfly, fly,
Keep your flight and light upon the air,
flutter here and flutter there,
thou shalt pass my way again, I'm sure.

Your season is spring, and mine is fall,

fly with no regret, and captivate us all...

she eludes my grasp

maple leaf rag

2009-11-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

Shifting shapes are formed by wafting breezes
as hue, saturation, and brightness adorn the ardent eye.
Subtle desires burn as yellow and orange conflagrations
indebted to loss of green whence envy makes me sigh.

whisp of yellow

2009-11-10T18:12:00.001-05:00

Homegrown wisp of yellow,
thou art my best inspiration,
fraught betwixt mellow template,
brought throngs of exaltation.

a spot of sunlight appeared

2009-11-10T18:11:00.002-05:00

beyond the shadows,
below the fold,
between the green,
be ever so bold.

Autumn seed

2009-11-10T18:11:00.001-05:00

Autumn seed, so fluffy and white,
come fly away with me.

The wunda of asplundh

2009-11-10T18:10:00.001-05:00

Isn't it wonderful?
Taken at the back of Westinghouse site, where I used to work, and still play Ultimate Frisbee.

The story of the cotton wool thread

2009-11-10T17:54:00.003-05:00

From Gundidepp:

The story of the cotton wool thread.

There once was a small cotton wool thread, that was afraid that he, as he was, would not be useful for anything: "...for a rope I am much too weak", he said to himself; " …and for a pullover too short. To socialize with others, I have much too many inhibitions. For my own embroidery I also say no, in addition I am too pale and too colourless. Yes, if I would be from Lurex, I could garnish a stole or a dress. But what? It does not come to pass! What can I do already? No one needs me. No one likes me – and I me the least of all."

So the small cotton wool thread spoke, put on some sad music and felt entirely dejected. Then a clump of wax knocked on his door and said: "Do not let yourself hang just so, you cotton wool thread! I have an idea: let's both work this out together. For a large candle, you are in fact too short to be a wick and I do not have enough wax for that, but for a tea candle, it would be just right. It is just much better to light a small flame than to always complain about the darkness!"

Because the small cotton wool thread was entirely happy, he sat together with the clump wax and said: "Now my existence has meaning."

And who knows, perhaps there is in the world yet more short cotton wool threads and small wax clumps that could get together themselves in order to illuminate the world?

-----
Die Geschichte vom Baumwollfaden.

Es war einmal ein kleiner Baumwollfaden, der hatte Angst, dass er so, wie er war, zu nichts nützlich sei:
„...für ein Schiffstau bin ich viel zu schwach", sagte er sich;"…und für einen Pullover zu kurz. An andere anzuknüpfen, habe ich viel zu viele Hemmungen. Für eine Stickerei eigne ich mich auch nicht, dazu bin ich zu blass und zu farblos. Ja, wenn ich aus Lurex wäre, dann könnte ich eine Stola verzieren oder ein Kleid. Aber so ? Es reicht nicht!
Was kann ich schon? Niemand braucht mich.
Niemand mag mich – und ich mich am allerwenigsten."

So sprach der kleine Baumwollfaden, legte eine traurige Musik auf und fühlte sich ganz niedergeschlagen.
Da klopfte ein Klümpchen Wachs an seine Tür und sagte: „ Lass dich doch nicht so hängen, du Baumwollfaden! Ich hab' da eine Idee: wir beide tun uns zusammen.
Für eine große Kerze bist du als Docht zwar zu kurz und ich hab' dafür nicht genug Wachs, aber für ein Teelicht reicht es allemal. Es ist doch viel besser ein kleines Licht anzuzünden, als immer nur über die Dunkelheit zu jammern!"

Da war der kleine Baumwollfaden ganz glücklich, tat sich mit dem Klümpchen Wachs zusammen und sagte: „ Jetzt hat mein Dasein doch einen Sinn."

Und wer weiß, vielleicht gibt es in der Welt noch mehr kurze Baumwollfäden und kleine Wachsklümpchen, die sich zusammentun könnten, um der Welt zu leuchten ?

Fantastique

2009-11-01T01:03:00.001-04:00

Symphonie Fantastique Hello, hurrah, herald garish hooray, Heed Halloween with Hector Berlioz; Heard hectic haunting ghoulish dismay, amidst half notes wholly grandiose Hell hath no fury, quotations oft do say, Quell quaff nor stray, elation cannot bray. Delinquent syncopation inverted contra-play, rhythm under reason, sanctioned as ballet.

Indecision

2009-10-26T22:03:00.001-04:00

Sensation, fraught with indecision, reach my soul.
Yours is the free flow of emotion that grabbed my attention.
Now I perceive the advent of cognitive dissonance.
Perchance, yonder alleviated expectancy ripped a void in the universe.
Said expanse of time won't suffice hyperbolic vitriol.
Meld quick, young thought, tonight won't be an eternity.

Indecision

2009-10-24T21:45:00.003-04:00

Leaves of three

2009-10-15T19:57:00.001-04:00

Leaves of three, beware of me,
behold the flair of color there,
but yet thy touch will hurt so much,
so shant you see you ought to flee..

--large--

Autumn ferns dancing in the wind

2009-10-15T19:33:00.001-04:00

When days are shorter, and thoughts grow dim,
all the very essence of life must grow effervescent to compensate
with equal and opposite reaction.
Wenn die Tage kürzer werden, und Gedanken blasser,
all das Wesen des Lebens muss wachsen Brausetabletten zum Ausgleich
mit gleichartige und entgegengesetzte Reaktion.

--large--

Donner summons the bolt

2009-10-14T17:07:00.003-04:00

To be able to summon the lightning bolt, and with great music, now that's what I wonder... what would it be like?
FF to about 6:10 for the best part :)

Das Rheingold -- Fafner fights Fasolt, Donner summons bolt

Source: www.youtube.com

This clip starts with Wotan giving the ring back to the giants and ends just as "Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge" starts

Happy Birthday song and lyrics

2009-10-11T09:33:00.002-04:00

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Lied

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4mJL-O5djg&NR=1

Happy Birthday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4mJ...

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Lied: Wise Guys-Ständchen

----
Wir ham erfahr'n, dass man heut' vor sechzig Jahr'n
den Zeitpunkt günstig fand
und dich kurzerhand entband.

Seitdem bist du auf der Welt.
Schön, dass es dir hier gefällt.
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
dadadadadada
--
Now we learn that today, sixty years ago.
the timing was favorable.
and you simply gave birth.
Since you're in the world.
Nice that it is you here please.
Happy Birthday!
dadadadadada
-------------------------------------
Wir wünschen Dir, dass lauter nette Leute,
ganz besonders heute ganz in deiner Nähe sind.
Und dass sie dir vielleicht ein Moped schenken,
und dass sie an dich denken,
denn du bist das Geburtstagskind.
--
We wish you that all nice people,
especially these days are very close to you.
And that they give you maybe a scooter,
and that they think of you,
for you are the birthday child.
------------------------------------
Wir wünschen dir im neuen Lebensjahr,
dass das, was gut ist, bleibt, so wie es war,
und dass alles, was dich nervt,
sich zumindest nicht verschärft
Happy Birthday!
--
We wish you in the new year,
that what is good remains, as it was,
and that everything that was annoying you,
at least is not exacerbated.
Happy Birthday!
-------------------------------------
Wir wünschen dir, dass du an jedem Morgen
fröhlich ohne Sorgen,
deinen neuen Tag beginnst.
Und dass du zwar höchstwahrscheinlich
nie die Fernsehlotterie,
aber manche neue Freundin gewinnst.
--
We wish for you that each morning,
is joyful without worries,
your new day begins.
And that you most probably
never a televised lottery,
but some new friend win.
------------------------------------
Wir wünschen dir im Sommer Sonnenschein,
im Winter soll es ohne Ende schnei'n,
solang du, je nach dem, wie's ist,
passend angezogen bist!
Happy Birthday!
--
We wish you in the summer sunshine,
winter shall it snow with no end,
as long as you, depending on how it is,
are dressed appropriately!
Happy Birthday!
-----------------------------------
Und dass viele Leute dich besuchen
und dir leck'res Weißbier bringen.
Ja, das wär' uns recht!
Wir hoffen, du sagst:
"Heute ist ein Tag
ganz genau, wie ich ihn mag -
Geburtstag haben ist nicht schlecht!"
--
And that many people visit you
and bring you delicious wheat beer.
Yes, that would do us right!
We hope you say:
"Today is a day
exactly how I like it --
This Birthday is not bad! "
-----------------------------------
Und dass du auch in Zukunft ganz ohne Beschwerden
Freude hast am gepflegten Älterwerden.
Also, kurz gesagt - und darum sind wir hier - :
Wir gratulieren dir!
--
And that you will continue with no complaints
Joy to have kept on aging.
So, in short - and that's why we're here -:
We congratulate you!
-----

As the dogwood turns

2009-09-29T07:59:00.001-04:00

As the dogwood turns,
so follows the season.
And all our aspirations
go for naught without reason.

The Swan of Tuonela

2009-09-15T21:34:00.002-04:00

The Swan of Tuonela

You were a dream to me, I could not conceive
heighten tension sliding below
ebbing higher gently swayed as in a breeze
softly enunciating naivety

Flutter by, but don't wave
don't see me below your soaring wing
perceive your world, but not my black watery depths
awakening beyond as light permeates mist

Full and rich depths surround
as grand aura fills my sound
your lone voice observes alone
higher still - would we soar at the same height?

Yet not together
Take a bow and smile

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbiNqfZuEgY

An angel appeared one night

2009-08-31T22:48:00.002-04:00

An angel appeared one night before my searching eyes,
As my visage cried for understanding.
She was waxen, laden with subtle raindrops,
Her aura became a purely subtle refrain,
In my thoughts and with the rain.

I could not resist a complex notion,
that meaning corresponds to the apparition,
and with that cogent recognition,
I compelled myself to gather momentum,
for a leap toward another direction.

She taught me to sing,
and sang I might,
for that night shone stars so bright,
that I could climb eternal heights.

Yours and mine, woven

2009-08-23T11:21:00.002-04:00

Mine is the music and slumber that beget my dreams of friendship,
discovering brooks of thought woven amongst
our roads and bridges built between islands of inspiration.
Breath deep the aroma of ten thousand pink blossoms,
we are not exempt from the smile of a child in mirth.
My journey is a search for one friend who may redeem
these dreams of lyric verses like songs within my heart.

Yours is the creative spark,
the power of inspiration.
Your brainchild is a brainstorm,
deeply thought, yet an exaltation.
Quite fancy the finely flowing photo,
mixed as an impulse to spur the imagination.
A notion of a muse to awaken our arousal,
an idea I shan't be able to resist.
Enthusiasm for your eloquent composition,
with little encouragement becomes my zest and zeal.
Frequent fervent visits approach an animus,
so kindly shared your vision of elevation,
bestowed upon me.

Thank you

Ever trodden still

2009-08-17T08:37:00.000-04:00

The path less traveled, is ever trodden still,
a skittish deer or bashful groundhog
do wander woods and mushroom laden hill,
but trolls do lay in wait,
in such a groggy state,
be wary of her future course, mere words cannot instill.

Puerile Textures

2009-08-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

A broad swipe of the artist's brush,
along a puerile canvas no longer clean,
goading textures out of vapor,
carving beauty sight unseen

One Truly Splendid Slice of Beauty

2009-05-28T09:09:00.000-04:00

As I was writing my 'Ode to Beauty' (it keeps changing names) I was often thinking of including another aspect of beauty I have previously omitted. I tried to keep it 'above board' for a general audience. But without including the utmost irresistibly indelibly joyful facet yet not revealed, I'm cheating everyone of the one truly splendid slice of beauty which ought not be overlooked, lest one might have not spoken of beauty at all and not done it justice. My google email server is just swimming in emails where I've touched upon this subject again and again, in subtle and coy flirtatious manners which transcend the general and target the specific feelings which gather momentum from the true meaning of that underlying radius of beauty. The radius might just encompass 360 degrees of the whole when considered. Sum up all of the aspects one might think of when considering beauty, and one might not yet have a sum total which comes close to the feelings of beauty elicited by this heretofore unmentioned expression of beauty. The countenance and bearing of the form of beauty comes from abstract feelings felt deeply yet concrete in their effect on my behaviour when I am under its spell. And the three hundred and sixty degrees of influence this infectious affect has over me is only described in two dimensions as complete, yet one has to go into three and four dimensions to fully understand the true influence it has. A circle becomes a sphere, and the sphere in time revolves around from an initial infatuation of a youngster into a full fledged powerful emotion not unlike passion described by ardent love.

So how best to articulate this characteristic of beauty? It's hard to put down in so many words. The previous paragraph simply flowed from my mind through my fingers into words almost effortlessly. But now I must pause to organize my thoughts more succinctly to provide an artful expression. What semblance of beauty is felt so deeply, and at the same time is so difficult to describe. It has two parts. One is the feeling itself; and the harder part to proclaim is the revelation divulging the condition. It is affection. Synonyms include amore, ardor, attraction, attachment, care, closeness, concern, crush, desire, devotion, emotion, endearment, feeling, fondness, friendliness, friendship, good will, hankering, heart, inclination, itch, kindness, liking, love, passion, predilection, propensity, regard, sentiment, shine, soft spot, solicitude, tenderness, warmth, weakness, yen, and zeal.

And zeal is what I've had. Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal and tireless diligence in its furtherance. Yet patience with pleasant and steady happy friendly un-expectancy. Never pushing more than a subtle word and relishing only in a knowledge of mutual simpatico smiling subtleties known or unknown, yet felt deliciously.

And the whole world of first impressions stemming from this proclamation often leads the hearer to retreat from its source. Only a friendly exuberant impression is intended, yet sometimes the opposite reaction arises. But the truly nice counterpoised response is to embrace the knowledge in no more nor less a fashion as would be the response without having gained said information. Accept it in a vacuum, as one would simply have greeted a new friend, without mistrust of intentions. Giving joyous welcome with little uncertain doubt would be beautiful.

But this is the ideal. And I have been lucky enough to have seen it: once.

And so that none feel I'm the first to ever visit this subject, refer to a beautiful poem "Ode To Beauty," by Ralph Waldo Emerson, which begins:

Who gave thee, O Beauty! The keys of this breast

What lies revealed

2009-03-25T21:50:00.000-04:00

A fern can be a shield
if I'm ready to yield
move my arms aside
and see what lies revealed

Metronomic candor

2009-02-07T07:49:00.000-05:00

Metronomic candor - Beethoven Symphony No. 8

Gorgeous serendipity, landed squarely on my nose
No lack of hesitation, dare rob me of my prose
Speaking speech in volume, pitched above three rows
Luck she barely knew me, and nimble on her toes

Born with trepidation, and furrows on her brow
A subtle time and mellow rhyme, and now's when I avow
Overture preamble, pioneering lead somehow
Further salutation, hello goodbye and ciao

What rapid introspection, as during tranquil lull
Was thought and then was lost upon, and glance would soon befall
Approaching gentle movement, commence and dart away
Lunge full bore, sawing bow and sweeping sooth foray

Steeped to incredulity, behind inquiring glance
Thread simple hesitation, woven as a dance
Morphing other voices, and rhythm to enhance
Stretched around my temple, unlikely as romance

Extend seesaw return chutzpa
Winding up reverb
Unleash what's raw and look voila
Adoration cannot curb

Start again, reprise and yet, consider slower still
Metronomic candor, ascending toward yon hill
Drowning with your grandeur, grasping for a thrill
Bass and sound revolve around, strings they do instill

Impetuous dampened softness, rich with full contour
Sweet and slender tremor, ascend with bass once more
Burst horns upon my consciousness, alert to hear the score
Prepare one heart for apex, last passion to endure

Revolve

2009-01-15T12:25:00.000-05:00

Your were well within my sensory jungle,
but no orbit could revolve my subtle influence,
without hyperbolic prelude I could bungle,
or sympathetic cogence yielding confluence.

A big blue marble and orange globule held together
without reason or without rhyme,
a weaker force within a greater capacity
describes attraction under ordinary time.

But my whole world held together with a tether
immersed succinctly under firmament,
ample planets circle round my tender mind
creating stratum and arching supercillium.

Yes my zone is within reach of her stomping ground,
my compass points directly to gentle province,
dominion pulling through the level field,
my pale brown eyes adhere a course aligned

Realm rank and scope subside with footsteps fell
before my meandering path around
each rondo falls like an apple
under force of function on the ground

And now the anxious approach
do I dare
I've lost my sphere of introspection
how will I fare?

Happy New Year Bokeh

2009-01-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

The world of picture makers celebrate with bokeh
What better medium which with to play
dancing lights radiate the suns rays
reflecting back to my eyes and lens in rainbow colours
A sip of wine a cup of brew
celebrate fine for this year new!

juxtaposed within glowing amber curves

2009-01-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

juxtaposed within glowing amber curves
her supple forms waved before my eyes
softly flowing current of the brook
darkening shade provoking dreadful sighs

sunlight shone twice madly upon my scene
she was subtle if unseen
thus she stole my task of racing green
transfixed now I between

my chore before
would suffice no more
it now became thus necessary
to sample sudden sight galore
-------
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5KRqc7Hud4
Pizzicato Polka

The Dart

2008-12-30T07:33:00.000-05:00

Scrolling textures pierce my bloodshot eyes like arching darts aimed at red balloons,
my destiny lie elsewhere, someplace crisper.
Counterfeit facade arrayed along my visor, screechin' sermons like a gray buffoon;
yet she is waiting patiently -- nary a whisper

I drift on, daydreams wander,
wondrous words devastatingly aligned, persuade my mind:
she has scribed them down.
Remove this tumultuous tempest from my brim, 'till I find:
green forest, peat and bog around

Hillsides arise, inclining greater than my city ground;
out there, beyond, is peace and true prosperity;
abstract professions found, intermingled sumptuous forces newly unbound,
can be yet achieved, lest I dawdle aged superfluity

shrieking lucid orange annunciation,
time to change your softly dampered brilliance,
unloosen dexterity, sharpening a once minced temperament,
leap-frog wild decorum, rediscover simple eloquence.

The dart has pierced my wading brow,
And now I find,
my world is left behind:
art supplants artificial mind

A vale of darkness reins the lesser season,
far below the south of forest land;
Between thick trees of pine and peaks of white,
A clay brick path wanders through these somber hills

Water of the brook babbles through an olden hamlet
like a brimming broth before a lazy meal
laced with capsicum pepper mixed with cutlet
quaffed with red and white of dry appeal

Unburdened folk carrying caboodle
fish the meadow beyond cathedral way
celebrate sandpiper calling ruff and reeve,
revive the ancient wanton tumultuous ways

Sweet burning desire sings supple sound
against a sage of dissonant musical saws.
Lanes lined with new houses,
carved gables, tiered windows, overhanging roof

A nature park is where I want to be,
this ancient time is land I long to feel,
juxtaposed between my now and future free,
elixir of the woods hence I may heal.

Douglas Bauman, Dec 2008

Merry Christmas from Flash the Greyhound

2008-12-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Bokeh pepper smile..

2008-12-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

Bokeh pepper smile..
Wandering along a paved thoroughfare
Finding many subjects but only few to peek my interest
This city garden brings a smile to share
I find a forsaken bell pepper
Hanging from the vine
Hello my small pepper friend, mind if I photograph your lingering pose?
No not at all, feel free to capture me
But the smile is in the bokeh
Hidden behind
The pepper becomes the glandular nose
the places where maples leaves behind shine forth
and those places where there be no leaves form the eyes and mouth
Enjoy my bokeh pepper smile

rejuvenate my heart

2008-11-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

I leave my heart to you
My heart is all that I have left
My last possession, might as well be there
up in the air
blue sky seen through
my heart is gone
only a hole is left where it used to be
but beauty peeks through
Now all I have left is sweet nature
the void where my heart used to be
can be filled by natures essence
It is all that is left to rejoice in
to enjoy, the fragrance and light
Fill me with your nature,
rejuvenate my heart

what words can turn my doldrums into splendor
what deeds can turn apathy back to yearning
what thoughts can think me thoughts of joy
who can turn my darkness into light

My journey has never been a destination
My pleasures past have been the trip
I need a goal or some sheer light
to light up my life
rejuvenate my joy

tiny mushroom

2008-10-15T14:19:00.000-04:00

tiny mushroom within a mossy wall
is he short or is he tall
defying gravity and all
the leaves come down, but you won't fall

grant me 3 wishes

2008-10-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

Is this an ominous face full of foreboding, or a gentle friendly face like Shrek? I was walking down the trail at McConnell's Mill. There were many people also there, it was a glorious day and all the tourists were out. But then, all of a sudden, they all seemed to disappear. The noise of the rapids, water splashing hither and thither, suddenly ceased. The birds and other sounds were no more. The face began to speak: "I was wondering when you would see me. In fact, I've been waiting here for over 100 years for anyone to observe my slumber. As luck would have it, I am quite patient. So now you are the first, to see my visage and now you are the lucky one. I will grant you three wishes."
I took those three wishes and kept them, but have not yet used them.

Revered again

2008-10-08T18:46:00.000-04:00

As is my wont, I'm writing poetry to psych myself up for a Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert this weekend. These are my words, just written to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff : Symphony No. 2

Revered again

Often when I'm up against a wall,
and the very simple words I scrawl,
easily reveal my thoughts to you,
as words I hope that do enthrall

Exposing whence my sleeping heart did fall,
back out onto center stage again,
and the wonder of our dream as when,
I could really have that kind of gall

Whosoever
dares to tell
that kind of truth
in this very soft and cloistered world,
can be cheered
but not revered
until they're mired
in dire understandings least unfurled

Abstract wisdom of the past is clear,
mixed with current subtle sounds I hear,
probing rhythm of my thoughts appear,
I'm trusting you my dear

Reveal our truth
together
inspire trust as freedom
unaffected nature as simplicity

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrKdPDiBZTI

I believe Pittsburgh is projecting wall art on the buildings this weekend:

billowing morning web

2008-09-26T23:06:00.000-04:00

billowing morning spider web well above my head
lucky to have found you my dear or your web I'd have to shed

The race

2008-09-19T13:18:00.001-04:00

javadoug was in the race of his life. Sure, he could compete with mere mortals, on bicycles, but he chose instead to race the jet airplane. He gained an early head start, but his lead might diminish when those afterburners kicked in. So he knuckled under, gave it all his heart and soul, and poured his strength in one direction, with the aim of beating mr. jet airplane...

a grand day

2008-09-17T08:42:00.001-04:00

a grand day
proclaim parfait
come what may
my words to say
tried to sway
but would allay
your fears away
defray
my cloistered decay
though I turn grey
my heart is gay
sometimes risqué
so please don't slay
my power play

curl up with my petals

2008-09-05T18:05:00.000-04:00

Sep 5, 2008

my texture was alluring, you could not resist
my color so enduring, a dream yet I exist
light streams in infinite directions
wavelengths combine
perduance yielding varied flavors
enunciating distinct sensations yet to savor
again curl up with me
affinity divine

joy

2008-09-03T15:26:00.001-04:00

Mar 1, 2008 9:13 AM

Her pace quickened as she hastened towards the window. A quick glance told the weather, as well as need be, for the sun shone bright in her heart on this particular dawn. What had previously been veiled anticipation now awoke this day with wild excitement; her plans formed and shifted all week and now the day had come. The big event was in store, and she could hardly wait. Yes, a flurry of thoughts took hold and bare feet trod down the stairs, barely able to control herself. She found her parents already eating breakfast in the kitchen. Then came the look, the famous wide-eyed enthusiastic smile her father couldn't resist, buckling under its influence was unavoidable. He saw the look as she entered the room, that same sweet smile which always convinced him. Her joy rubbed off on everyone who encountered this enthusiasm. This morning was no different.

Doug Bauman, March 2008

The Sage

2008-07-25T14:43:00.000-04:00

A sage once told me:
When you feel you are alone, you do not really know how many people are behind you and support you.
When you feel despair, fear not, the despair is only inside you.
When your faith is stretched to the limit, it is time to grow;
encompass a wider range, depth of meaning can be enhanced.
Take a pause, relax, start anew.
That sage was me, my inner voice.
Don't feel home sick, enjoy the company you are with,
be that nature, people, whatever..
Relax, contemplate, slow down.
When you are down, then there is no place else but up,
things will look up.
Take heart

Rossini Overture to L'Italiana in Algeri

www.youtube.com/watch?v=94asd5_o_Sg

little camp fires on a tulip tree

2008-07-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

Little camp fires on a tree
posed right out there just for me
Beyond my reach but near my sight
A perilous reach yet dare I might

A lovely little tulip poplar
where I stay above my room
To capture its beauty I dare to try
but they are perched beyond my zoom

So offered now a beauty blossom
up close to view comes far away
a captured version of what I'd see
if I could fly like birds in May

A hummingbird sees this lovely tulip
and I could too if I could glide
Birds and bees would bend their knees
if they could see my aerial ride

Please grab your camera and make the show
forget your troubles and let me know
if you would smell my fragrant flower
enjoy the close-up and let us grow

Dedicated to tygerlyly
a helpful friend, and what a dilly!

freewill

2008-07-25T14:35:00.000-04:00

fall in to my tendrils deep and still
feathers softly bristle like a quill
falling uphill

lessons never learned can not instill
real distinction for another skill
but you've got freewill

elusive ray of light

2008-07-25T14:31:00.000-04:00

I do it for light, light, light

I discovered a magical ray of pure sunlight,
I followed it up and I followed it right,
it dodged, and it bounded and looped
all around, I'm trying to find if I may if I might,

It was tiny and bright and it lept over head
but I followed it quick, and it wiggled instead
it was canny and clever and quickly receded,
but I followed it through and aimed just ahead

The light landed up on a green maple tree
and the seeds were illumed to be orange, can't you see
it was steady and stable and lingered awhile
and the seeds didn't move, nor extinguish my guile

The result you can see is a striking redound
of a blade in the air, just the way it was found,
and I captured it fine, and now that its mine
I'm happy to show it to you any time

Enjoy

(written to the music of this song:)
youtube.com/watch?v=O8CyJVTCFYs

I recently made some audio recordings of:
Wood Thrush:
javadoug.googlepages.com/MVI_0861.AVI.MP3

Hooded Warbler (wheatie-wheatie-wheatie-oooh)
javadoug.googlepages.com/MVI_0898.AVI.MP3
javadoug.googlepages.com/MVI_0900.AVI.MP3

Hooded Warbler (alternate call, not heard as often)
javadoug.googlepages.com/MVI_0902.AVI.MP3

The Ugly American

2008-07-25T14:27:00.000-04:00

1982 - that's me climbing the statue. What's funny is I didn't even remember this!
I met some friends after a Pittsburgh Symphony Concert a few weeks ago, and my friend's wife said she remembers this photo, with me sticking my tongue out posing behind this statue. :-)
So he scanned these old slides for me.

From my friend Simon Lowenfeld, who took these photos:
"these statues used to line one of the avenues of the Forum Romanum in Rome; the Forum was the center of Rome and therefore the center of the Roman Empire; the statues were no longer there when I was in Italy 2 yrs ago, undoubtedly removed to save them from tourists climbing all over them…"

He calls this: "The Ugly American"
A reference to a phrase apparently only known to Europeans, about some sort of yankee think or other, I'm not sure exactly ;-) (He's originally from Romania)

Here is another picture from that trip, this one taken in Austria:
www.flickr.com/photos/javadoug/305729943/

And for more of my exploits on that trip, this time in Romania, read half way down this essay I wrote a few years ago:
javadoug.googlepages.com/beauty.html

mysterious stranger

2008-07-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

This mysterious stranger was a very tiny insect visiting my small bachelor button flower. I've been reading about quantum physics and time particles again recently
In the article, a physicist remarks: "“The quantum world has become more tangible, and the nature of reality even more mysterious”

I used to watch a TV show called: "Connections" It would leap from one item to another, throughout history using these sometimes weak links called connections. Almost like gossip, which starts with a fact at one end of a chain, and ends up all the way at the other end of a chain completely different, yet with the show, it somehow wrapped it all up into a sort of quasi circle, with a plausible scenario for their completed elliptical turn, and if you suspended your disbelief, and without skepticism, it was an entertaining concoction of historical events.

My connection is this, I begin with the tiny insect, to which I state he is very very small, and I've got this camera which is able to record his or her beauty in fabulous macro style. But I observe his tiny presence and extrapolate smaller, to particles unseen and infinitesimal. The article appears, thanks to first a visit by Panta Rhei, a contact who just got back from a vacation to the North Sea, so you see I'm leaping here, I'm placing these links together in semblances of connections. She has a contact named Perceval's Land (or he has changed his flickr name now). So in his photostream, I see this picture of the chains and gears of a bicycle, and of course I can't resist, being a bike lover myself, and I see a reference to an article about a possible way to actually observe these particles and or waves without disturbing them, perhaps by fixing what you have disturbed, and a reference to a fellow named Katz; so the article was sent to Panta, so of course I have to google that and I find the article, it is the quantum theory again, about not being able to observe without also disturbing. Sort of like photography, I am able to observe and photograph this tiny insect, but have I disturbed the scene? Have I sent it into an alternate universe? If I had not disturbed this, it might have happened differently. In the schrödinger's cat thought experiment, the cat is in a box, in a state where he is either alive or dead, but at the same time (that departure elides me a bit), and when you open the box (observation) you find the cat is either alive or dead, but cannot be both at the same time, by observing you have disturbed. I once before observed, In any walk with nature, one disturbs far more than he knows.

I could make this program a bit longer, with chains upon links of connections, but I'm off for work, and you see I don't want to be that late, even though I'm already a bit. Many more of these connections are possible! Let's take trips through flickr with many connections. My final connection is this: I just happened to be reading a book by Mark Twain, called the Mysterious Stranger, you can only guess who that is. Well I also read another book by C.S.Lewis called "The Great Divorce" about the divorce between Heaven and Hell. Well in that book, heaven is in the sky and grand and glorious, hell is in the tiny cracks of the ground and is infinitesimal. Therefore, you can begin to see further connections, that hell is the tiny particles of quantum physics, and our great big world is heaven, and well, perhaps by disturbing the tiny particles, we are disturbing hell, we don't want to wake up Satan!

Perdurance

2008-06-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

A star appeared one night, midsummer
An apparition of dread yet soon to befall
the stranger who would be firm friend
short term knowing can deceive
Consent to avoid folly too soon
hold back tears of joy for a subtle time
and while thy realm is blurred
sharpen thy tooth on dreams of perdurance,
the long continuance of yon tender relationship
fraught with broken slumber
Determination rewards with eventual pure bonds
of long lasting friendship
sleep tight, thy midsummer dream
sleep well, do daydream,
do care,
hold fast,
friend

ageless

2008-06-05T15:09:00.000-04:00

Two beauties who have not faded with age
nor will I relent to the onset of time
as if written in image or verse upon a page
hold stature with composure, trippingly within rhyme

Pachelbel's Canon in D Major
youtube.com/watch?v=hOA-2hl1Vbc
I like this version, it has the harpsichord and the viola pizzicato included.
I listened to about 6 versions before I chose this one.
more info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachelbel's_Canon

javadoug

Beyond eager precipices only I extol

First Red in a Sea of Green

advertent - heedful

can't get enough

Spanning the gulf of time at Gullfoss

Should I stay or should I go

Great-horned Owl

Great-horned Owl chicks

Great Horned Owl

By substance

It's quiet in nature - in winter

Lightning in a Jar

wisping of breezes

and to wander

Temporal Articulations

cede the night's fun

I couldn't resist !

Agile Wavelengths Align

Wink

Genesis

Butter and Eggs

Take Heart

Fire pink my native child

Diverging paths

Fair voice ensure

Vast woods of green

The Mermaid

Recognizable bits of beauty

Spring Colors Spring Forth, yet

once chance

Empty Embrace

Woven Aural Shades of Green

Creatures of impetuous flavour

Art with PS

Conjure forth a theme

splashed

alien friends

Entangled in my art

But soft!

Old man of the woods

Ninja Frosty and I

The miracle of creation

upsidedown underneath

Tiny Mushrooms on a Tree

Skeletal Grain

Diffracting waves

Solitude

messages sent through vast starlight

A statue robust in glorious hue

Gently fading

Poised beneath the petals

Consumes my sight

3 times and 4 squared

Panta rhei

fly butterfly fly

maple leaf rag

whisp of yellow

a spot of sunlight appeared

Autumn seed

The wunda of asplundh

The story of the cotton wool thread

Fantastique

Indecision

Indecision

Leaves of three

Autumn ferns dancing in the wind

Donner summons the bolt

To be able to summon the lightning bolt, and with great music, now that's what I wonder... what would it be like?FF to about 6:10 for the best part :)

Happy Birthday song and lyrics

As the dogwood turns

The Swan of Tuonela

An angel appeared one night

Yours and mine, woven

Ever trodden still

Puerile Textures

One Truly Splendid Slice of Beauty

What lies revealed

Metronomic candor

Revolve

To be able to summon the lightning bolt, and with great music, now that's what I wonder... what would it be like?
FF to about 6:10 for the best part :)