Thoughts...

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“Without forgiveness, there's no future”

- Desmond Tutu
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Ok, first things first.

2010 is coming up. We all need calendars don't we? heh... (drumroll please)

Well I have calendars! Yep... now don't hurt yourself in your orgasmic fit of glee and joy... but if you enjoy my photography and like reading my blog, be one of the first to buy my first-ever photo calendar:

Oregon





Doesn't that just make your mouth water? And at only $25.65? Wow... buy 10 and give them out as Christmas gifts!

But really? These are nice, quality stock calendars and your purchase(s!) will help me continue doing whatever it is I do. What do I do anyway? Hmmm... I'm gonna have to look into that.

Thanks friends. Support the arts and support your local artists.
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Many years ago... decades ago actually... I lived with a woman (yes, a woman. Shocking isn't it?). We lived together for quite a few years and I was unofficial step-dad to her daughter. She was near life-long best friends with my best friend's now-wife (who is also one of my best-friends). We did stuff together. We got along really well. My family liked her. Her family tolerated me... She was my match. No offense to any woman I've been with since, but she was the best. Gorgeous/cute, small, smart, funny... sigh...

... and then shit happened. It ended. Life went on for us both and we never saw each other again.

Well, I had wondered all these years what happened to the daughter and about a month ago did some googling and came up with a phone number. I called and the gentleman I needed to talk to wasn't home. Later that evening I get an email from best friend's wife with a picture of C, the woman I used to live with. Well, with some more googling one thing (as they tend to do) led to another and C and I are now back in contact. We've exchanged emails and spoken on the phone a few times. This Saturday we'll be seeing each other again for the first time in over 25 years. I figured she'd be living in some upscale multi-$100K type house so big she'd have someone hired to clean it. Wrong. She's single...

I know the dangers of projecting so I'm not investing any what-ifs, nor am I ignoring the obvious... and the obvious to me is that the universe has a weird sense of humor! I'm heading to California to my nephew's wedding this Saturday. C's nephew has his wedding Saturday. My nephew's is at 6 pm. Her nephew's wedding is at 6 pm.

I mean c'mon... God has a script writer? Anyway, it should be fun. I'll clue you all in somewhere down the road. But not a bad tale, eh?

And remember I said she was smart? Well she teaches HS lit. And she writes.

You all didn't know I also wrote poetry did you? I haven't much since college (as someone once said to me "we all write poetry in college") but C sent a poem, I responded with one of my own. She sent another, I responded with one of my own. Here then are those poems, published here for the first time anywhere, ever! ©Copyrighted of course...

C's #1:

Before Desire sighed her first
lonely breath, this was unfolding;
from the rise of her heave came Love
and with the fall of it came Life.
Between the two you and I gasped
our first breath on a path free,
curious, blessed, and inspired.
This is my source, my spring,
my umbilical cord nourishing me
with Desire eternally.

From what source are you?
Is it the same as mine as I claim
or is it Nature that gave to Uruk
its walls gleaming like copper;
its leagues of city, gardens, lowlands
and temples laid out by the Seven Sages?
Open your copper tablet box—
open its bronze lock and tell me
the gleaming glory of your source.
I desire to know.

And I responded with this:

Desire...?
... to get home
again, lost
on trails crossing generations
following...
what? Life? Love?

Or is mere survival
the core? Desire?

My desire is light
love and flesh and kin
desire to crush
those who hate and harm
desire to cradle
babes and lovers,
petals and feathers...

Desire to get home
to leave these plunderers
desire to be safe
a moment, an eve
a day, a year,
a life...

Home... the source,
the well,
springs eternal
quench the thirst
when long journeys
lead us on
paths shared,
paths lost,
paths found again.

Desire? Desire? DESIRE?!?

God yes...

In all its forms
desire drives and lifts
and builds and crashes
mighty walls.

Desire...
... a touch
that makes us gasp,
that gasp
that is solely the moment
and uniquely
ubiquitous.

Desire?

Like Joseph
the Chief
and Teresa the Saint,
Martin the lamb...
desire drives
unbidden.

Source?

...aaah, yes.

So I wrote another and because that's the way she is, C responded with her own. I like the way they dovetail side by side:

Spontaneous Eruption______Visceral affection

I see not_________________I feel surely
what is ahead_____________what is ahead
I know this road___________I know this chance
curves__________________awaits
and twists________________with promises
and passes places__________and lingers divinely
ever much so strange_______laced with grace so dear

And I may pause__________And I may recall
or stay a bit_____________or remember differently
but I travel______________but I recall
often long periods________the tender nights
alone_________________together
never afraid____________youthfully hopeful
for me_________________for us
but for those_____________but for us
whom I love_____________love melted down

And tragedy stalks_______Yet Draconian vows
while blessings make_____prove matchless when
this road sometimes______fate with peace
sweet.____________________embrace.

Epic should it be__________Epic surely it is
an adventure shoor_______a journey needed
because always___________because surely
- it seems to me -________-it seems to me-
a shortage________________a curse
of men___________________of men
and women willing________and women unwilling
to give all_________________to affirm their soul
that it takes_______________and live nobly
to make this place_________to make this place
THIS earth________________THIS earth
ours again.________________ours again.

Want to___________________Sure, let's
walk awhile?_______________walk awhile,
Talk awhile________________Talk awhile
and share_________________get caught up
this path a bit_____________and gaze up
and perhaps_______________at the moon again
a meal____________________over a meal
maybe two?_______________or two or three.

And that's it. No photos today, altho I have quite few to put up. I'm going to try and do another post before I head to dueling weddings this weekend. If not, then next week for sure.

Thanks for stopping by for a donut! I'll be back soon.
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“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together”

- Desmond Tutu

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