Virginia Is For Families

, originally uploaded by Davidlind.

Your blogging friend has been asked to do the photos for a Visitor’s Guide published by the Chamber of Commerce in this area.

How about that?  And it’s a perfect time of year to take some photos of the outdoors with the leaves just starting to seriously turn different colors.

This publication will go out to thousands of people in the area and it will include a bio of the photographer. So I will be taking a lot of photos in the next few weeks. And there should be some photos of Heaven being published soon because that’s where I will be.

This has also got me thinking about publishing a book of poems and photos using Amazon.com. I’m a little late for this Christmas but we will see.

First things first and the Visitors Guide.

I will let you know how it goes.

Also a new edition of Wordpress has come out today.  It offers a couple of security fixes so it’s probably a good idea to “get er done”.   And prior to that . . . Today would be a good day to BACK UP the blog.  In fact I am going to do it right now and suggest you might want to do it too.

*
*
*
*
This is poetry about the death of a loved one. In this case it is my mother who died in 1992. I was taking photos of the James River one day and went back home to get warm and look at them. It was a very peaceful time and as sometimes happens I began to write. The bushes along the river reminded me of something long ago. . .

Mother

*

They left you on a shelf

Beneath the bricks and a cloudy sky

As we waited for your date with a field of grass.

The gentleman who dressed you was nice enough

And he rolled you out when I arrived to say “Good-bye”.

You rested in the center of the room

As I recalled the plastic flowers

On our dining room table years ago.

All of us plus Pops and Nana too

Thanking God for all His gifts

And the Sunday meals you made.

***

And this as well.

On a beautiful summer day

You put on a white blouse and skirt

And took me to the blueberry fields.

You laughed as I pretended to take a broken drum

Out the door for the berries.

Then you sang a song just for us

As cool breezes charmed my senses

While goodness found mercy

Next to a stream and gave a little boy

A picture that would last until now.

***

This morning I went to Starbucks

After watching the river at dawn,

Immersed in making photos with pastel shades of sky

And bushes that seemed blue in the early morning air.

I ordered coffee

To awaken my frozen limbs

And a blueberry scone.

The berries are sweet.

I find them more delicious

Than chocolate

Or wine.

*

*

*

***

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.

-William Carlos Williams

*

*

***

My good friend Robin at Naked In Eden : Ancient Memories in the Australian Rainforest wrote this about Virginia Breeze and its disorganized captain:

VIRGINIA BREEZE: http://davidnotes.com David’s blog has some of the most beautiful and cherished poetry I’ve read in a long time. It has moved me to tears on more than one occasion. If you enjoy heartfelt honest sentiments that speak of the core issues of our lives then grab a cup of tea, slow down and read some of David’s poems. They are written by someone who feels deeply and has an open heart. You will go away feeling like you know him. They are easy to understand and are mated with beautiful photos. My post this month was inspired by David’s poetry. His writing sets me free and encourages me to be authentic. He also writes about a variety of topics I find interesting, warm, real (and sometimes funny).

You can’t ask for anything better than this in the way of endorsements or morale building moments can you?

Robin is a treasure. Every once in a long while you meet somebody who you feel close to immediately and Robin is one of those people. There is a long list of readers who have fallen under her spell and I am one of them. Her writing is irresistible and she is funny, entertaining and brave.

That last quality I find very admirable. This fine lady lived in a rain forest and wrote a book about her life. Doing those kind of things requires courage.

If we are all unique then Robin is not afraid to share that uniqueness with the world. Why write a personal blog if you are not going to share something that your reader will not be able to read anywhere else? That’s my opinion about blogging and I find that Robin is the perfect example of somebody who does this extremely well.

I hope and pray she will always have time to stop by here for a few moments because I have grown very attached to her in a very short time. She motivates me to continue trying to become a better writer.

I hope you will take time to get to know her too. You won’t be sorry. I promise.

*

Have you met someone while blogging you made you feel this way?

*

*

For all the different loves there are
I find this one to be by far
The one that keeps me up at night
The one that brings us most delight.

It calls to me each time to climb
The tree of passion fruit divine.
Although I sometimes fail to see
The bending grass that waits for me.

And yes I sometimes fall from grace
And land upon a softer place.
These things they seem to come and go
Like antlers on a dear old foe.

I wish our love could always find
Aphrodite and her shrine
Upon the ocean’s frothy shore
So I could dive and fall no more.

And then our nights would last til dawn
As we would roll upon the shore
With taut skin scratched until it bled
And arched back crying to be fed.

With water glistening on your breasts
Hair laced seashells wildly dressed
Bruised lips laid upon my skin
And birds screaming just where we’ve been.

I would grasp your waist below
And lift you up so you would know
My masterful (Dear God) embrace
And never want to leave this place!

Until this happens close your eyes
Remember when our youth belied
The constant setting of the sun
Days to years that soon would run.

For in my heart the blood flows warm
And sometimes wishes it were young.
But in my mind the sand breathes fire
Embracing you with deep desire.

I wish that I could show you more
But know it’s you that I adore
And help me find the script I laid
Between the words of this brief page.

So then we’ll see just what is what
And who is hot and just how much
Eager to visit warmer clime
And merge both blood and open mind.

I hope you’re ready as they say
To see the dragon slayed today.
Make sure the mirrors have been cleaned
So we may view the fateful deed.

Whatever happens most of all
Let me make you laugh somehow.
Your clown prince cometh soon to town
And all do hope he won’t fall down.

And when at last we rest at night
Upon a silent sheet of light
Listening to the dogs next door
Remember I do you adore.
And know tis you that I adore.

***

Now might be a good time to mention that the voices speaking in each of my poems are not necessarily me! Parts of them might be me or all or none.

Because this poetry as a whole is not about me! Hopefully it will be more entertaining than it possibly could if that were the case. I am trying to write about our human condition and the strong emotions that are a part of it. Love seems to be an easy one for me to write about but maybe at some point I will try some others. But not really dark ones. I won’t be writing about hate anytime soon. Fear maybe. Oh wait. I already did that in the poem about the tiger. Confusion? Is that an emotion? Embarrassment? That’s a possibility.

We will see. Thank you for all the encouragement I have received for poems already done. They really are the soul of this blog and the main source of its traffic as well.

*

Maybe we will see you at the beach sometime!

*

*

More poetry from Davidlind

Sailing Away

* * *

Last night we gathered on a ship

Our tribe and all our friends,

And sailed for distant galaxies

To find a peaceful land.

The stars received us as we went

Our lives passed through their gaze

We sailed between bright fire and light

Our eyes were all ablaze.

Read more. . . .