Monday Morning Musings:
All the Stories Waiting
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand.”
–Pablo Picasso, in an interview in “The Arts: An Illustrated Monthly Magazine Covering All Phases of Ancient and Modern Art” (1923). Source: Quote Investigator
1.
The fog yawns, and
February arrives, but the robins
ignore the powdered sugar-dusted boughs,
in a round they sing, spring is coming.
2.
The numberless praise the murky,
present theories, make them facts,
drag faint, insidious lines to a bonfire,
boast in the smoky air, despite no escape hatch.
3.
The sounds of a city,
the acoustics of brick and steel
layered beats and melodies, birds and booms,
shadows and reflections, there and gone.
4.
A sip of wine, local or imported,
a bite of cheese—small pleasures—
the writer writes, the curtain drops,
she disappears—reappears in the next chapter.
5.
Look! And again. See how blue
attracts blue—river and sky merge,
a call and response. The breeze smells of messy possibility,
the future, like inchoate clouds, a story waiting to be told.
Another cadralor attempt. This time using Jane’s Random Words.
The weather was all over the place this week—mild to very, blustery cold,
then milder again. I took note of some architectural details for Kerfe as we walked in Philadelphia.
We saw two good plays this weekend,
Clyde’s By Lynn Nottage, at the Arden Theater
And Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell at the Lantern Theater.
We liked both plays, but we both preferred Lifespan—the play itself and the acting. Excellent. I’m still thinking about it.
The above was written before I heard the news–
My thoughts go out to the many people affected by the earthquake in Turkey last night. Horrific news. And now I’ve seen there’s been a second earthquake there.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Reblogged this on https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
Thank you!
We are so dependend from the weather and the nature itself. Sometimes i am feeling like an ant in the universe. A horrible situation there in Turkey. ;-( Best wishes, Michael
Thank you, Michael. A very tiny ant! Yes.
Best wishes to you, too. 💙
So many stories waiting to be told. And I did notice those architectural details and thought–Merril should do Thursday Doors.
It’s tragedy upon tragedy in a world that seems like it can’t take anything more. (K)
Thank you very much, Kerfe.
I’ve thought about Thursday Doors, but I can’t keep up with the ones I do now. 🙂
Yes, you are so right about the tragedies.
I know what you mean. I am tangled up in dangling projects at the moment.
Wonderful pics, Merril! No. 2 is so apt for what we are witnessing.
Thank you so much, Punam.
Yes, unfortunately you are right about number 2.
So many blues in your musings here…sky, water, the world as it is, and the world as we wish it could be. I love the first four lines…so full of possibility, so full of hope. It is that to which we must cling…
Thank you very much, Linda.
I really like blue, and I always seem to see it.💙
This one feels like a cadralor to me! I particularly like stanzas 4 and 5. I love the color of the sky against the grass in the first photo after the poem’s first stanza.
Thank you so much for your close reading, Liz! 😊 I’m so pleased you liked the poem and the photos.
You’re most welcome, Merril!
I love these lines: “river and sky merge,
a call and response. The breeze smells of messy possibility,
the future, like inchoate clouds, a story waiting to be told.” The weather has been on a roller-coaster here too, but too soon it will be summer in Florida and hot.
It is devastating news in Turkey and Syria. I can’t comprehend what they are suffering.
Thank you so much, Marie. I was pleased with those lines, too. 😊
I can’t comprehend it either. Such devastation.
Tbh, I’m afraid to open the news. Last I looked, the death toll was 7,200. Absolutely unimaginable.
I agree. I haven’t wanted to look at it either.
The fog yawns and February is here – love that!
Our February came in with a roar. The temps finally went up (still cold for youse guys 😉 ) but great for me!
I love that you go to plays and enjoy wine and cheese and get out there. Lovely, just lovely.
Always, such a joy to read.
Thank you so much, Dale. 💙
Very weird weather.
We didn’t actually go out for wine and cheese, I just snuck in that photo. It’s tool cold to sit outside, and we just weren’t sure about sitting inside, though we might try it later this birthday month. . .
You know it. 🧡
Hey, go out, stay in… it’s still nice to have wine and cheese 😉 Not too much sitting outside for us, either! Mind you, we should actually get above freezing this week so… 😂🤣 We Canucks are a wild bunch!
We were watching a show set in Ireland last night, and a group of sisters had a tradition of swimming in the ocean around Christmas. I’m like nope! 😂
My friend lives in Victoria, BC and she and a gang committed to a morning swim every day for a year. There were sub-zero swims!
No, no, no!
No? 😉
NO! 🙂
🤣😂
I once designed a college course titled Truth in Fiction. Wild weather and earthquakes in Turkey are, sadly, not fiction. Thanks for digging deep today, Merril.
Thank you very much, Marian.
I’ve been absent on IG lately so your photos were an extra special treat today, Merril. Gorgeous! Thank you.❤️
Thank you, Jill. 💙
Beautifully written, Merril! I, too, can feel spring in the cold air…
Thank you very much, Ingrid!
So beautifully written and photographed. “The breeze smells of messy possibility,” is such a mellifluous line
Thank you so much, Derrick.
And thank you for noticing the line. 💙
Perfect Monday Musings.
Your pics many grey, are enchanting.
You make me feel a still before the spring storms.
Hocus pocus
a yellow crocus (my latest poem)
Poor people of Turkey, over 20,000 dead so far.
Mother Nature can be as cruel, as she can be rewarding.
Have you seen any of the series “Poker Face”?
I’m quite enjoying it.
Thank you very much, Resa.
Yes, Mother Nature can be beautiful and cruel.
Poker Face has had some great reviews, but I haven’t seen any of it. I don’t think I want to pay for Peacock, too, right now.
I get it! There’s such a plethora of streaming services. One of our local stations picked up “Poker Face” (love it). BUT there are literally commercials every 5 – 7 minutes.
Still, I watch it because it’s really good!