Introduction To Poetry

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

Billy Collins

A card for all seasons

This was my favorite Christmas card. It's also my favorite January 28th card.

What's in a name?

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Puppy Accord. Everyone's favorite wailin' child.
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Chocolate Decadence Peanut Butter. I think I better just hang here by the fridge.
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name-first three letters of your last name) S'mar. Okay.
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Rust Tiger. Don't try to scratch her behind the ears.
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Annette Los Angeles, wife of Lee Albuquerque. Both mysteriously disappeared from the set of Seattle Slough over a year ago.
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Marst, secret love child of Callista Ming and Luke Skywalker.
7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Blood Red Bunnahabhain. Mel Gibson swears he saw her repeatedly on the set of Braveheart wearing a plaid mini-skirt and a red cape.
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Hal Ragnvald, failed his driver's license test 6 times. He does better just going in circles.
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite scent/perfume/cologne, favorite candy) Myrrh Mounds. Need I say more?
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother’s & father’s middle names ) Ann Grey. Fades away.
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) McAdams Memphis. WREG's Motormouth McAdams rains on your parade daily.
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Autumn Moonflower. Gives James sneezing fits.
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Strawberry Slippery. Shortcake's little sister.
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Red Berry Special K Live Oak. But you can call me Rebespeklio.
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: ("The" + your fave hobby/craft + your fave weather element + “Tour”) The Beading Thunderstorm Tour. Blinding, loud. Headliner Puppy Accord strings it out for hours. Also expected to appear: Stanley Wisniewski!

Friday Fill-in

1. Finishing something makes me happy.
2. I would like a replicator, please.
3. Shrimp and grits at Farm 255 tastes SO good!
4. Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because it's spelled funny.
5. Freckles are my best feature.
6. We could learn so much from just sitting still for awhile.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to zzzzzzzzzz, tomorrow my plans include making marinara and Sunday, I want to find out what's in some of those boxes over there!

They're back! Much bigger than before!

In a surprise interview with Stanley Wisniewski at Mudchute Station late yesterday, they revealed plans for Blue Fright World Tour 2010. We can only hope.

Stanley is shopping around for an opening act. It could be yours!

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ The third picture, no matter what it is, is your album cover.

You then take the pic, add your band name and the album title to it, and then post your pic to your blog.

THIRTEEN TRIPS

UNDER

Underwater

Weedy sea dragon
John Harasti, photographer









Underwear

Pin-up Girl, 1950
Gil Evgren, artist

Under the weather

I'll just sit here
forever









Under the stars

Sagittarius star cloud
within the Milky Way













Under the needle

Koi and flowers
Tina Bafaro, artist

Under the radar

Album art, Little Feat, 1998
Neon Park (1940--1993), artist

Under the influence

House Appropriations Committee
Pay to play, baby






Under the microscope

Mosquito
Vector, yellow fever









Underground

Serbian Orthodox Church
Coober Pedy, Australia









Under a spell

Love potion
#8

Under the hood

Chevy
1955

Under the covers

If I can't see you
You can't see me

Zen of Housework

I look over my own shoulder
down my arms
to where they disappear under water
into hands inside pink rubber gloves
moiling among dinner dishes.

My hands lift a wine glass,
holding it by the stem and under the bowl.
It breaks the surface
like a chalice
rising from a medieval lake.

Full of the grey wine
of domesticity, the glass floats
to the level of my eyes.
Behind it, through the window
above the sink, the sun, among
a ceremony of sparrows and bare branches
is setting in Western America.

I can see thousands of droplets
of steam - each a tiny spectrum - rising
from my goblet of grey wine.

They sway, changing directions
constantly - like a school of playful fish,
or like the sheer curtain
on the window to another world.

Ah, grey sacrament of the mundane!

Al Zolynas 1945 -

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears. ~ Arab proverb

Photo: Tim Flach

Happy Birthday, Sarah J !

Are You Not Entertained?

Is this not why you are here?

No writing? No problem.

In lieu of the trite apology, I have joined the ranks of Those Who Blog Without Obligation. However, I am still a member of We Who Feel Guilty Anyway.

Holy Crap, it's 2008

January 1st on the Gregorian calendar. *yawn* It's when Christmas should be put back in its boxes. In 26 years, this has never happened. We tend to sit on the couch, eat, and pretend to watch the Rose Parade and various Bowl games. A much more sensible plan. *yawn*



I don't make resolutions. But if I did, I would vow to join the circus.






I would need skills! There are classes available in both Athens and Atlanta. I'll give it some thought. I'm sure I could break bones in either place.





Good omens

Rain! We got some. We need more. What did I do with that gourd?

According to those who know: Displaying a dried gourd in one's home is a good omen in Feng Shui.








We will soon enter the Year of the Rat on the Chinese calendar--the Earth Rat, to be specific. Rats are very cool mammals and make interesting companions.

People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and attraction for the opposite sex. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and are likely to be perfectionists. They are basically thrifty with money. Rat people are easily angered and love to gossip. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox.





Astronomical happenings to look up to in 2008
(courtesy of earthsky.org)

February 1 - Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. The planets Venus and Jupiter will appear only 0.6 degrees apart in the early morning sky.

February 7 - Annular Solar Eclipse. The path of annularity will only be visible over some parts of Antarctica. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout New Zealand and some parts of eastern Australia.

February 21 - Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

March 20 - The Vernal Equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere at 05:48 UT. There will be equal amounts of day and night. This is also the first day of spring.

June 20 - The Summer Solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere at 23:59 UT. The Sun is at its highest point in the sky and it will be the longest day of the year. This is also the first day of summer.

July 9 - Jupiter at Opposition. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth. This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons.

August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse. The path of totality will begin in northern Canada and move east and south through northern Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia, and central China. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout most of Greenland, Europe, And Asia.

September 22 - The Autumnal Equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere at 15:44 UT. There will be equal amounts of day and night. This is also the first day of fall.

December 1 - Conjunction of Moon, Venus, and Jupiter. The crescent moon, Venus, and Jupiter will form a 3-degree triangle in the evening sky.

December 21 - The Winter Solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere at 12:04 UT. The Sun is at its lowest point in the sky and it will be the shortest day of the year. This is also the first day of winter.