Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day 2011: We are ever grateful for your sacrifice!




God Bless all those brave men and women who have so valliantly served our great nation and made the ultimate sacrifice to maintain the flame of Freedom.  We will never forget your sacrifice!




Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

~John McCrae





AMERICA'S ANSWER

Rest ye in peace, ye Flanders dead.
The fight that ye so bravely led
We've taken up, And we will keep
True faith with you who lie asleep
With each a cross to mark his bed,
In Flanders fields.

Fear not that ye have died for naught,
The torch ye threw to us we caught.
Ten million hands will hold it high,
And Freedom's light shall never die!
We've learned the lessson that ye taught
In Flanders fields.


~R.W. Lilliard






(Thank you, Jackie, for sharing these poems. They are wonderful!)



Saturday, May 28, 2011

"Homesick for a place you ain't never been ..."

This write is inspired by a line from the movie that I happened to watch tonight: "The Mechanic."

I tried to write this in keeping with the character who gave the line:  A wise old dockhand that kept watch over the boats ... from a comfortable, beat up, old recliner ... in the marina where Jason Straham's character parked his river boat when he came into town via one of the New Orleans area bayous.

Funny thing is, this line is probably the best thing about this movie.  Don't get me wrong, I happen to love Jason Straham ... the script on this movie just wasn't that great in my humble opinion.  Anyway, maybe that's why my mind went off onto the tangent of developing this line into a poem?

The line in the movie was ..."Homesick for a place you ain't never been ..."
For some reason, these words just stuck in my head and wouldn't go away. Before I knew it, they had spun themselves into this ... poem?




"This is Audubon Park in New Orleans, looking toward the Tulane and Loyola campuses:
The Finger Points to the West?  Or is it East?"




"Homesick ..."


Homesick for a place you ain't never been
I know you hear it ...
A hidden longin', been buried deep within
Somethin's gone and awakened it,
Though you may'n ever know'd who pulled the trigger
So what you gonna do?
Just walk away? Thinkin' you be bigger ... Bigger
Than it is?
Unexplained yearnings a whisperin' your name
Calling out to you, it is ...
Unquenchable flame, hidden pain
It's a calling your name, sayin' gotta get in the game
It ain't never gonna go away!
Always be a whisperin', haunting echoes stir
Reminders around every corner ... become a blur,
As you be turning,
Running faster and faster ... Thinkin' you can get away?
Looking for any place you can hide ...
You just be hopin' the fear in you's gonna subside:
But it ain't ... Ain't never gonna go away!
Yes, you got it bad ...
Homesick for a place you ain't never been ...




@Copyright Poem, 2011. All Rights Reserved: Isabelle Black Smith.



Photo By: Seeking focus ... A very talented artist, in my humble opinion.  The story behind this photo alone is worth a visit to this artist's page.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Supression of Truth?

My last post was "Where will we find our truth?" ... Today, after the White House announced the appointment of a "Social Media Czar":  I think the better question would be "Do we really want to live in a country where our top elected official openly and aggressively supports suppression of the truth?"


[And as I click "view blog" to see my post ... my browser now goes nuts with 'clicks' as an external source ("client 6") is loaded, updated or whatever?  Hmmmmmmmmm ... So it begins??? ]

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Where will we find our Truth?

@Copyrighted Image, 2010.  All Rights Reserved:  Isabelle Black Smith.
"Shadow of Truth"


One God, a church with no walls ... Peace, Love ... Hope.



(Photo taken at Christ's Church Cathedral, Victoria Island, Summer 2010. To this day, I am
unsure as to the actual source for this shadow of this cross upon the cathedral door.)


Saturday, May 14, 2011

Awaken Mystery and Magic ...

Loreanna McKennitt, performing "Stolen Child" (live performance)



Awaken Mystery and Magic  ... dancing upon the voice of an angel ...


Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Poetry Night at the U.S. White House ...

Yes, tonight is Poetry Night at the White House (a.k.a.  "An Evening of Poetry") ...


"Wednesday is poetry night at the White House, as the president and first lady celebrate American poetry and prose by hosting a gathering of poets, musicians and artists.

Those slated to attend include Elizabeth Alexander, Billy Collins, Common, Rita Dove, Kenneth Goldsmith, Alison Knowles, Aimee Mann and Jill Scott. The performers, using music and verse, will highlight poetry's influence on American culture, according to the Associated Press.

As per usual, Michelle Obama will use the event to teach young ones. The first lady will host an afternoon workshop connecting students from all across the country to the evening's performers.

'An Evening of Poetry' is part of White House's music series, which began in 2009 with a jazz studio. Since then, Michelle Obama has hosted a celebration of country music, classical music, Motown music, Latin music, a salute to Broadway, music of the Civil Rights movement and a dance tribute to Judith Jamison."

~The Washington Examiner, May 5, 2011.

[Read more at the Washington Examiner: Washington Examiner.com ].



It looks as if this performance of poets at the White House will not be carried on regular television networks.  It will, however, be broadcast ovthe web, via the White House website, with a live discussion thread running at the same time on Facebook.  Here is the White House official link with detailed information:  m.whitehouse.gov/blog.



Apparently there is some controversy over one of the artists who has been invited to perform ... read ... at tonight's White House celebration.  The controversial artist is the rapper known as "Common" (a.k.a., Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.).  While I personally am unfamiliar with the work of this particular artist, I do support an artist's right to express themselves.  If I don't like what they write or say, then I can choose not to listen to or read their work.  That's what makes us America, right?  The latter being said, however, I do hope that "Common" will use good judgment in the selections that he chooses to present this evening at the White House.  Personally, I am not sure that Common is the best choice for an artist that is representative of the America we want to present to the world, but perhaps his performing shows America is indeed a land where one has the right and the freedom to speak his mind?


In light of this special night, "An Evening of Poetry at the Whitehouse",  here is a poem that I composed just for FUN : )






Ode to Coffee


Enticing, awakening, mind-melding, pain deadening elixir of life.
Though to my poor stomach you bring only greatest of strife.
Dark, velvety, chocolate perfection, where rainbow swirls
Often dance delicately atop your lake, in absence of accessories.
O sensuous seductor, how I long to bring you to my lips, but
Know full well one sip of you would swiftly bring me to my knees.
Heavenly, aromatic blend sing of mysterious and forbidden spices.
O exalted one, your song, to me, it endlessly entices.
Liquid temptation in a pot, for alas I know I can have you not.
Black, no sugar, no cream ... Can't I still dream?


@Copyrighted Poem, 2011. All Rights Reserved: Isabelle Black Smith.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Happy Mother's Day ... Poem

Painting By, Narasoma Art Gallery





MOTHER
Ambiguity interwoven Diversity
Rising as occasion needs it be.
Unconditional LOVE,
Giving spirit wings to rise above.




@Copyrighted Poem, 2011. All Rights Reserved: Isabelle Black Smith.





May God Bless all Mother's this Mother's Day and throughout the year ahead.
Here is a lovely song that goes rather nicely with this poem and image ... evokes the
essence of LOVE and PEACE that is MOTHER.

Song:  Loreena McKennitt - La Serenissima

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Believe in Magic ...

Remember when we used to believe in magic?


Loreenna McKennitt, Vocals for "The Last Unicorn" ...







Do you still believe?

Thursday, May 05, 2011

When all else fails ...

When all else fails:  FLY!!




watch on YouTube



... And I'll be right there with you in spirit : ) 

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Victory in Killing Osama Bin Laden?

I have mixed feelings about the death of Osama Bin Laden.  A wise man once said that "Killing is a religion unto itself."  I understand the political and worldly symbolic importance of the death of this terrorist, but killing is just not something that I will ever be comfortable with, I guess?  And I know that on some level, killing Bin Laden only fuels the remaining terrorists even more maybe?  Another will most certainly rise to take his place and Bin Laden will live on a hero and "martyr" among his supporters.  So aside from removing the head of the hydra ... knowing full well that yet another will arise ... what have we truly gained?  I'm still thinking on this and so I have been silent on my comments thus far.

A friend of mine remarked "Killing Osama Bin Laden is a moral victory!" ... which seems an oxymoron to me?

There is a movie, "The Kingdom of Heaven." This movie is set during the time of the Crusades, when Christians and Muslims struggled for control of the "Holy Land."  Perhaps the most memorable quote of this entire movie is given by the Baron of Ibile just before his death.  The Baron has just made his illegitimate son, Balian, the new Baron of Ibile and in his parting words to his son he says, "At the end of the Crusade lies a world where Muslim and Christian can live side by side in peace."  

And indeed there have at times, in our history, been periods of peace between the Christian and Islamic religious factions.  We have even seen a tenuous peace between Jewish and Islamic states for brief periods of time. Perhaps the players, the methods of warefare, the stakes and the rules of engagement have changed in more modern times ... But  perhaps, a time of lasting peace and understanding will yet come upon us again?  The latter --PEACE-- will be what I will be dilligently praying for in my ongoing thoughts and daily prayers, I think.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011