Another poem, inspired by a tarantula that crossed my path during a recent hike. One Native American interpretation of a Tarantula's symbolism is "Grandmother"...
Tarantula
Grandmother Spider appears
And speaks to my heart
“Take care of yourself
And keep up your art.”
“Ok, I will,”
I promise her spirit.
But something distracts me
That sound, did you hear it?
I forgot to write it down,
The idea that I had.
The one that was golden
And now I am mad.
But, laundry is full
And beds are unmade.
I’ll remember it soon
When I rest in the shade.
Where’d the time go?
It’s already tonight.
The clock hands are spinning
And nothing is right.
A new day has come,
What was I thinking?
Yesterday’s idea but
A ship that is sinking.
The dishes are dirty
The dog needs to eat.
The kids are out playing
I make the house neat.
Another day gone
And another one yet
Another, another
How many do I get?
What was that idea?
The one that was gold?
I can’t recall it now
I guess I’m getting old.
One day I can’t move
In a box in the ground
Too busy to breathe
There is no more sound.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Common Sense
Random thought...
Why do they call it "common sense", when it really isn't all that common?
Why do they call it "common sense", when it really isn't all that common?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Why Do Things Have To Change?
When something works well, why is it human nature to go and change it (then complain that it doesn't work well anymore). Are we just looking for something to complain about?
I used to looove McDonald's chocolate milkshakes when I was younger. They used to have little icy chunks of goodness in them, and they tasted like dairy Heaven. But, about 15 years ago they changed the recipe, God knows why, and now they make them with something that coats your tongue like a layer of lacquer paint. It's gross. I've seen them poured out on parking lot asphalt and they still look like a "milkshake". They keep the consistency. Why? What have they added to make this pseudo dairy impersonator - plastic?
In the 15 or so years since they changed my beloved shake recipe, I have moved on to Dairy Queen's version. It's edible and I can count on it tasting the same no matter what Dairy Queen I go to.
But, I really miss my McDonald's shakes, even 15 years later. Wendy's better never change their Frosty recipe!
I used to looove McDonald's chocolate milkshakes when I was younger. They used to have little icy chunks of goodness in them, and they tasted like dairy Heaven. But, about 15 years ago they changed the recipe, God knows why, and now they make them with something that coats your tongue like a layer of lacquer paint. It's gross. I've seen them poured out on parking lot asphalt and they still look like a "milkshake". They keep the consistency. Why? What have they added to make this pseudo dairy impersonator - plastic?
In the 15 or so years since they changed my beloved shake recipe, I have moved on to Dairy Queen's version. It's edible and I can count on it tasting the same no matter what Dairy Queen I go to.
But, I really miss my McDonald's shakes, even 15 years later. Wendy's better never change their Frosty recipe!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Art Theft
Below is an article I wrote a few years back about the fascinating world of Art Theft:
The year was 1911, the setting – Paris. A man walks out of The Louvre with a woman hidden under his overcoat. A very famous woman, in fact, The Mona Lisa herself. Over the next two years she would remain missing, and doubts of her recovery mounted every day. Many people would fall under the eye of suspicion, including Pablo Picasso who was brought in for questioning and later released (I would love to read a transcript of that one, wouldn’t you?). During her absence, she became more famous than ever. In fact, it was her theft that catapulted her to her current place as the most famous painting in the world.
Did the man who smuggled her away under his overcoat know that his act would lead to her rise in fame? Probably not. His intentions were purely patriotic. See, he was an employee of the museum, Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian, who believed that The Mona Lisa belonged back in Italy, not in France. He was captured when he tried to sell her to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. His punishment? Only a few months in jail. As a matter of fact he was hailed as a patriot in Italy. As a result of her temporary absence and resulting rise to fame, the Mona Lisa now resides under bullet proof glass in her permanent home, The Louvre, appreciated by thousands of art lovers who gaze upon her haunting smile each year.
Not every story of art theft has a happy ending, and many pieces will never be seen again. Art theft is big business, big enough that the FBI has a special task force assigned to manage it, the Art Crime Team. Their website lists current art theft news, as well as tips on how to secure your own collection. They maintain a National Stolen Art File, which tracks and catalogues art and artifacts reported missing in the United States. The agency also works closely with Interpol in the recovery of international art and artifacts. Most recently the agency has been working to recover items that were looted form the Iraq Museum at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a good amount of pieces have been successfully located and returned.
Why is there a problem with art theft? There are many different reasons. Art is sometimes used as collateral for drugs and weapons by more unsavory individuals and groups. Art is stolen as a political statement, such as the case with Mona Lisa. Art is also stolen as a statement towards the art itself, or about it, as was the case with the Iraq Museum. Art thieves can be brilliant masterminds, deadly criminals, or acivists for a cause. Each case is as individual and diverse as the piece that was stolen.
There is no question that art theft will continue as long as there is art in the world.
The year was 1911, the setting – Paris. A man walks out of The Louvre with a woman hidden under his overcoat. A very famous woman, in fact, The Mona Lisa herself. Over the next two years she would remain missing, and doubts of her recovery mounted every day. Many people would fall under the eye of suspicion, including Pablo Picasso who was brought in for questioning and later released (I would love to read a transcript of that one, wouldn’t you?). During her absence, she became more famous than ever. In fact, it was her theft that catapulted her to her current place as the most famous painting in the world.
Did the man who smuggled her away under his overcoat know that his act would lead to her rise in fame? Probably not. His intentions were purely patriotic. See, he was an employee of the museum, Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian, who believed that The Mona Lisa belonged back in Italy, not in France. He was captured when he tried to sell her to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. His punishment? Only a few months in jail. As a matter of fact he was hailed as a patriot in Italy. As a result of her temporary absence and resulting rise to fame, the Mona Lisa now resides under bullet proof glass in her permanent home, The Louvre, appreciated by thousands of art lovers who gaze upon her haunting smile each year.
Not every story of art theft has a happy ending, and many pieces will never be seen again. Art theft is big business, big enough that the FBI has a special task force assigned to manage it, the Art Crime Team. Their website lists current art theft news, as well as tips on how to secure your own collection. They maintain a National Stolen Art File, which tracks and catalogues art and artifacts reported missing in the United States. The agency also works closely with Interpol in the recovery of international art and artifacts. Most recently the agency has been working to recover items that were looted form the Iraq Museum at the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a good amount of pieces have been successfully located and returned.
Why is there a problem with art theft? There are many different reasons. Art is sometimes used as collateral for drugs and weapons by more unsavory individuals and groups. Art is stolen as a political statement, such as the case with Mona Lisa. Art is also stolen as a statement towards the art itself, or about it, as was the case with the Iraq Museum. Art thieves can be brilliant masterminds, deadly criminals, or acivists for a cause. Each case is as individual and diverse as the piece that was stolen.
There is no question that art theft will continue as long as there is art in the world.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Time for another poem...
Split Personality
Dreams that I hold dear
Of moving forward, without fear,
Are extinguished by the light of day
Something has obviously gone astray.
Where is the person that I used to be?
Who is this stranger that is now me?
I cannot pinpoint the day or the hour,
But the old me's been killed by a higher power.
Dreams that I hold dear
Of moving forward, without fear,
Are extinguished by the light of day
Something has obviously gone astray.
Where is the person that I used to be?
Who is this stranger that is now me?
I cannot pinpoint the day or the hour,
But the old me's been killed by a higher power.
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