The Cloudless Day #art #poetry #nature

Bleak winter presses on my soul

grey solitude heavy weight

nature’s blanket takes its toll

tearing at all reason I wait

colour plied to canvas tight

window opens cloudless peace

greens and yellows pull the light

shutter of my soul release

brush continually applies

shape takes beauty’s form

of winter I am free inside

spring unveils her radiant warmth

The art: “Clare’s Window” (1980s) is one of the paintings my mother has painted that brings nature’s beauty indoors. On many wintery days, I have pulled at the warmth from her work and felt less wintry weight.

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Cream Meeting Place #photography #Uganda

business meeting

It’s noon

sun radiates on cars and people

place to meet

swamp flower

radiant beauty like the sun

lovely Uganda

I marvel at the beauty of Uganda. Her people are also very industrious. The cars (top picture) are used for meeting places out of the sun. Children also get out of the heat and pretend they are driving even when the cars are stacked on top of each other – think of the view.

Thank you Cee Neuner for a community where photographers share beauty and life… This week’s prompt is cream or white colour.

Monochrome Beauty #photography #flower

Monochrome Tulip © 2016 Moondust Designs

Many thanks to City Sonnet for the photo challenge for November. Today is a shot in Monochrome

Heart Art #art #haiku #photography

Drawing hearts

no distance in the sand

petal perfect

 

I love the textures that petals and sand make. It’s spring so enjoy the sun everyone.

I’m jumping in for an Art Date with Thursday Art Day with Rain the prompt is Signs of Spring.

I had to put the cherry blossoms up for without them there is not spring. Smiles for your spring…

 

 

eXplanation #elderlyissues #atozchallenge

Woman with mustard pot

“Can you tell me?”

“What would you like to know?”

With Dementia we often will be asked the same questions every shift or 10 times every shift.

I find the more confused a client is the more they can loop around a similarity.

“When is my friend Felicia coming?”

“We called. She’s on her way?”

“You know I’d really appreciate if you would call Felicia to find out when she’s coming.”

“We just called her.”

“I would remember if we just called Felicia. Call her”

“Let’s wait a minute I think she’s on her way…”

For family members these loops can seem frustrating.

I try to redirect my client’s focus sometimes it works while other times it just makes a client more frustrated.

So for the explanations keep them simple. Sometimes those questions are asked as our family is trying to get a grip on the last edge of reality.

 

How do you deal with frustration during Co-Vid Days????

Image attribution: Pablo Picasso “The Woman with Mustard Pot” 1910

Cherry Margarita #haiku #spring #haibun

 

I sit behind closed doors. Drawing pictures of ballet dancers in pink .  Crumpled piles of discards about my feet. I’m reminded of cherry blossoms in spring. They dance through the cobwebs in my head and I am outside in spring’s kaleidoscope with no Co-Vid.

***

Infused with sunshine

cherry blossoms kiss still waters

sparks of spring

We miss the cherry blossoms they are always so cheerful and so this week I may take a few moments and draw more ballerinas.

Hope all of you are doing well. Not sure how it is for the rest of you but I am actually happy to be home writing and creating. Most of the places where I work in hospice did a close down (which was wise) – anything to prevent a spread. Be well and write!!!

Sharing with Poets And Story Tellers United

 

Drawing You #poetry #face

My first sweep of your jawline

a shade around your nose

caught on your eyes

what is happening

who knows

**

I sketched until dawn

this face remembering

then why were my lips

shaking and trembling

***

I peered deeper still

you looked back at me

what had I done

set my love free?

**

To settle on a face

the one in my dreams

Oh what a fool

to believe in such schemes

**

I continued to draw

each night until dawn

I’d lost all control

what had gone wrong?

***

Hearing a sound

before the sun rose

a knock on the door

could it be?

I don’t know

***

There someone stood

something circling his face

the man in my drawing

no turning back

I’ll have a mental break

 

When I originally wrote this I was starting to draw portraits. They are difficult. I added a little more Jekyl Hyde rather than a romantic tone.

Art: Pablo Picasso

Searching #poetry #art #elderlyissues #atozchallenge

 

 

Boys Wading

 

so easy when we’re small

no words need be expressed

I’m wading in the mud

and now I am depressed

I lost my very thought

went through my fingertips

a momentary drop

there’s so much I have missed

 

Searching when we are young seems part of the mystery of learning.

The discovery is part of the looking.

As we age it seems we search more and the lengthy discovery crescendos in frustration

So how do we as caregivers dial frustration down?

Don’t find the word that was lost look for it with your family member.

If it’s an object secretly bring it closely to them so they can “find it”

“Oh there they are” reflects a lighter tone than “I have lost my mind with my glasses.”

My response: “I”m so glad you found them. It would have taken me the rest of the day.” I smile understanding the art of losing things.

This photo of this beautiful work by artist Winslow Homer reminds me why we do it. We do it together ….

 

Photo:  Winslow Homer “Boys Wading” 1873 Smithsonian

What do you do when you lose something???

 

 

 

 

 

Playing with Bubbles #art #photography #covid19 #takingabreak

 

Sometimes I just need to take a break and PLAY!!!!

Seahorse

 

 

 

Making Bubbles

reflecting bubbles

How About You????

Zebra #poetry #children #school

You look so shy

you are one of a kind

you wear black and white

my kids wear strips

you run and play

and so do they

kids give us smiles

no matter the size

 

Children are planning to return to school and some are finishing up their lessons for a break. Parents are all too proud of these lives that make ours so full of joy!!!

I drew a zebra for a friend the other day (not this one by my talented parent). Those zebra stripes take all sorts of zigs and zags but they still join up some where in the middle – amazing how that works.