Almost-Christmas Quatrain

No room, they were told, and away

They went as the cold night fell

To find a dark stable, wherein

All—true Light within—was well.

Prompted by WD Seadna poetic form challenge. 

image: The Evening before the birth of Christ, by Michael Rieser (1869)

Live for the Love of it,

Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

Christmas

 

No angels, no trumpets

No marvelous light

A flickering candle

Amidst the cold night 

A rickety shelter

A mind not at rest

A weary mother

A babe at her breast

A desperate whisper

Be it unto me

The wood of the manger

The wood of the tree

Live for the Love of it, 

Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

Image: Adoration of the Shepherds, by Caravaggio (1609)

"GEMINI" for Janet

A very happy birthday to my dear cyber friend Janet-the June girl of Another Porch. 

A wikem from me to you :)

Hooray for Janet!

Frederic Leighton's "Flaming June"

GEMINI 

"...due to the precession of the equinoxes, June begins with the sun in the astrological sign of Gemini..." (Wikipedia) 

She's flaming June, she's you, the fleeting youth
wrapped in the gauze of time, a lucid dream,
the waking orange sun, reposing truth,
she's all that you may see, all things that seem
to be within your grasp, an ancient tune
forever young, she's you, she's flaming June. 

have a wonderful day, my friend

Live for the Love of it,
Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

Stop Seeing Red: Van Gogh's Vineyards

flower arrangement by Lindsey Taylor

I'm not sure if floral designer Lindsey Taylor actually traveled to Moscow to visit the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Perhaps, not. But whether she saw the original  Vincent van Gogh's 1888 painting or its reproduction, "The Red Vineyards at Arles" became an inspiration for her arrangement.

"The Red Vineyards at Arles" by Vincent van Gogh

Interestingly, not the natural or spontaneous, but somewhat forced inspiration -- the dominant reds and yellows of the painting being not among Lindsey's favorites. She explains why:

"Long ago, when my parents' summer cookout menus dictated a lot of mustard and ketchup, I developed a bias against pairing the colors red and yellow. I was more of a relish girl."

However, when we keep our minds--and eyes--open, unexpected things happen. We begin to see beyond the bold reds and yellows, noticing the subtle colors -- the small details that help us understand the big picture.

"I noticed how some of the quieter, and cooler, hues help mellow the harshness of the red and yellow," Lindsey says, "Note the periwinkle blue of the field workers' uniforms and the creamy white brush strokes that accent the field, the sky above and its reflection in the water. Without these touches, the painting might have been too strident."

Here's what Lindsey used to echo the painting's palette in her flower arrangement:

• Red: orange and red dahlias
• Yellow: bright yellow yarrow and billy buttons in a mustard yellow
• Blue: indigo delphinium, purple salvia
• Cream: white coreopsis
• "Mad mix...found in the horse-drawn cart...the far-off tree line": a copper bucket with a greenish-blue patina

If you like Lindsey Taylor have a "lifelong prejudice against red-and-yellow," throw in a few more colors, and "paint" your own bouquet, or flower garden, or anything you care to create.

For you never know where inspiration will take you.

Live for the Love of it,

Sasha A. Palmer (aka Happy)

P.S. "The Red Vineyards at Arles" is believed to be the only painting by Vincent van Gogh that was sold while the artist was alive.

P.P.S. The post was inspired by the article "VAN GOGH IN A VASE" published in The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 15-16, 2015).

"Happy"

Marc Chagall 'Progulka' ('A Stroll')

1917

'Happy'

I’ve no weight, I’m a kite,

Fly me high, hold on tight,

Don’t let go of my hand,

Bye-bye, land!

Keep your feet on the ground,

Planet Earth’s small and round,

With its oceans and all,

Like a ball.

Limitations disperse,

You are my universe,

Standing firmly, and bound

To the ground.

I am air, I am light,

I am day, I am night,

Watch me how I go whee!

Fly with me?

Burning bright, burning clear,

From this world disappear

In the blink of an eye

You and I.

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur


Today I'm linking this poem I wrote a while ago to The Mag #173 
(and I accidentally deleted the original post..)

https://www.artsy.net/artist/marc-chagall

Happy Hopper Days ('New York Movie')

She used to listen to music,

Responding with every pore,

Now all she hears is sounds

That speak to her no more.

The voice is distant, though near,

Someone, not her, is on stage.

She wasn’t meant to be here,

It’s not her time, not her age.

It’s somebody else’s theater,

It’s somebody else’s life.

She’s merely a spectator,

She’s somebody else’s wife.

This painting - 'New York Movie' by Hopper - is one of this week's writing prompts from Margo Roby (Wordgathering.)

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur 

Happy Hopper Days ('Chop Suey')

She looks so thin, and tired.

“Couldn’t sleep,” she says,

“I need to talk to you,”

She wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“I think there is another

Woman…please, I want

To say it now, before

I change my mind again.

He’s grown distant, quiet,

Something’s wrong,” she says,

“Please, tell me now, sis,

I need to know the truth.”

She’s so afraid to know,

And yet she won’t turn back.

We’re never coming back

To this cafe again.

This painting - 'Chop Suey' by Hopper - was one of last week's writing prompts from Margo Roby (Wordgathering.)

Live for the Love of it,

The Happy Amateur