Monday Morning Musings:
Perfect Days
The sun rises, an open door to if,
it rises, even when we can’t see it
beyond cotton-batting clouds
or storm-tossed grey–
it rises behind moon-orbits
and earth turns
turning the day,
a new page, a new season,
rising, the sun,
rising, the birds
rising, the flowers
from warmed earth
and the branches of trees
I greet, like an old friend.
And though the leaves fall,
and petals of pink, like tiny ballet slippers
after a dance,
and baby birds fall from nests
and cat-swiped objects from a table—
but not the sky,
or the sun—
it still rises.
There it goes again.
Hello again! I decided to incorporate yesterday’s NaPoWriMo prompt to use anaphora (the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a line or clause.)
So, I’m not naïve. I know the world is in terrible shape—both the climate and the rise of authoritarianism all over. I know there are wars and famine and suffering, but there is also beauty, too, especially here in spring. I know there can be changing the mind of the rabid supporters of the former US president, they live in upside-down land, and they’ll never find their way back up the rabbit hole. But it’s the people like New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu—what a cynical POS he is—who are willing to see our democratic system end just to keep the Republican (in name only) party in power. (See Letters from an American here.)
The weather has been fluctuating daily—sometimes hourly. We have had our fair share of April showers and flowers. The early daffodils are gone, but the later ones are still around, along with the tulips. The early flowering trees now are green, but the later flowering trees are in bloom against the vibrant green that only exists in spring. The color of anticipation? Of life?
We were supposed to see a play yesterday. As usual, we left our house early to walk around Philadelphia a bit first. When we got to the theater, we found notices that said the performance was cancelled because of the illness of a cast member.
Merril’s Movie/TV Club: But we streamed the Wim Wenders’ film Perfect Days—which would have been better to see in the theater—but I still enjoyed it. In fact, I can’t stop thinking about it. I keep seeing Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho) looking up at the sky. He’s a toilet cleaner in Tokyo who find beauty in books, music, and nature. The movie shows his daily work and encounters with people. It manages to be moving without being sappy. I am so NOT a fan of treacly-sweet movies, and this is not that. It has a more Zen feeling, and the soundtrack of 60s and 70s music is great—Lou Reed, The Animals, Otis Redding, and more. Obviously, not for action-movie fans.
And we’re almost finished with the Netflix series, Ripley (another show based on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley character.) It’s so good, creepy, and noirish. Andrew Scott is excellent (as he was in All of Us Strangers), and the cinematography—with Hitchcockian shadows and on-location shots of gorgeous Italian villas, narrow streets, Caravaggio portraits, and Roman landmarks is stunning.
I have a poem in this beautiful new collection from Black Bough Press, available on Amazon.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Wonderful and uplifting Monday Musings, Merril! I say it is a good thing to focus on the good because there is so much crap around, for many it is very difficult to see. They need people like you and me to keep reminding them that all is not dark.
My friend started watching Ripley last night and now you mention it. Guess I will put it on mine as we were looking for a new show for date night 😉
I’ll try to catch up on the last few days. I was, shall we say, busy and also very lazy this weekend!
Thank you so much, Dale! I appreciate what you said.
I think you’ll love seeing Italy in Ripley–and you can practice your Italian, too. 🙂
I am SO behind on reading posts–I need to catch up with dVerse especially. I had a work assignment I was trying to finish–and just lots of stuff! You had a good excuse for being lazy.
So glad you did.
I think I am going to watch it!
Ugh. I thought I was doing well. Slack off one day and poof! There it goes. I do agree I had a good reason 😉
This month is just crazy busy!
Tell me about it. I can’t keep up with you lot 😉
Yeah–lots of poem-writing, but work stuff and other projects, too, for me. I’m way behind on reading for dVerse, so I didn’t do yesterday’s prompt and probably won’t do today’s, but I’m hosting on Thursday.
I was all gung-ho to do yesterday’s. Might still but probably won’t! I’ll see. 😊
😊
That river photo with the cloud reflections is just beautiful! And congratulations on being in the Black Bough anthology xx
Thank you very much! xx
Fine with me if you wax positive and show beautiful (and funny) photos. We could all use all the beauty and poetry that we can get. I am seriously behind in reading and writing … it’s kind of too nice outside to be spending time on a computer 😉
Congratulations on your latest publication!
Thank you very much, Marie!
You should definitely enjoy the beautiful weather!
I’ve had work and projects–and I just bottom out later in the day. 🙂
I really try to get as much done as I can in the mornings and early afternoon. Once I get to 3 or 4 pm, I usually “shut down” 😉
Yeah, me, too! 😊
I agree with Dale…Wonderful.
Thank you so much!
Congratulations Merril! It’s necessary to celebrate the things we can, like spring. Beautiful photos as always. (K )
Thank you, Kerfe!
Congratulations, Merril, on the publication! The pink petal floor is so beautiful.
Thank you, Luanne!
“Pink petal floor” is a very nice turn of phrase, Luanne!
It is.
Now why did I know that you had at least begun this post on Saturday? Lovely photography and poetry. I don’t know if you have learned that our former, failed, Prime Minister Lynn Truss has come out in support of Trump for President. Thank goodness we got rid of her.
Thank you, Derrick.
I didn’t hear about your former PM. Wow–that’s awful. Yes, good riddance.
I’m not sure what you mean about Saturday. I started writing the post on Monday morning. 🙂
The first line: “The sun rises, an open door to if,” 🙂
Ahhh!
These pictures tell such a beautiful story ❤
Thank you very much! 😊
The poem and the photos reminded me once again that I need to get outside sooner than later so I don’t miss our beautiful spring. Congratulations on your Black Bough publication! As for NH’s cynical POS governor, I am embarrassed to live in NH. My husband and I watched the interview and were beyond appalled.
Thank you so much, Liz. I hope you get outside soon. 😊
I didn’t really know anything about your governor until I heard about that interview and then watched some of it. Here in NJ, we had to endure Chris Christie, but thankfully got rid of him.